Solvent Disruption of Biomass and Biomembranes

The Solvent Disruption of Biomass and Biomembrane Structures in the Production of Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Science Focus Area (SFA) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory studies how solvents affect plant cell walls and microbial membranes. The goal is to improve biomass pretreatment and microbial fermentation for efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and bioproducts.

Our mission

Our mission is to provide fundamental knowledge about how solvents alter the structures of critical biomolecular assemblies that compose plant cell walls and microbial membranes. Structural effects are dominant in the efficient solvent-based pretreatment and deconstruction of biomass, and in product titer limitations from fermentation caused by the solvent-based destabilization of microbial membranes.           

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