If energy is the question, wheat could be the answer…

A new article published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture investigates proposed solutions to the world’s current energy problems by using second-generation biofuels produced from wheat.

Previously scientists have debated the use of wheat as a biofuel because it needs an unpractical amount of harvest to produce a useful amount of energy. This is due to a fungal contamination inhibiting the fermentation process.

In the new paper Benefits of β-xylanase for wheat biomass conversion to bioethanol by Grazina Juodeikiene et al., the authors look at the possibility of improving the efficiency of bioethanol production from wheat. They hope that by including a new biocatalyst in the fermentation process, they can counteract the negative impact of the fungal infection.

The researchers’ work shows that by focusing on freeing the wheat from contamination, that the efficiency of bioethanol energy production can be increased by up to 35%.

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