Moo-ving Towards A Better Biofuel
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom C/D
Start Date
15-5-2014
End Date
15-5-2014
Keywords
Sustainability, Energy, Biofuels
Abstract
In the United States, ethanol fuel is mostly produced using corn, which is problematic because it competes with humans for food, and requires substantial amounts of fossil fuels for production. Cellulose is a vast potential source of energy. The applicability of cellulose fuel is hindered by the ability to competitively break cellulose into glucose. Our group looked into using naturally occurring bacteria and fungi found in a bovine stomach to perform this process. We took rumen fluid from a cow, and then applied several concentrations of the diluted fluid to cellulosic culture medias. This allowed us to isolate cellulose degrading microorganisms which we identified and cultured. We then tested the cultures for their efficiency in breaking down cellulose.
Recommended Citation
Logan, Davis, "Moo-ving Towards A Better Biofuel" (2014). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 27.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/posters/27
Poster Number
56
Additional Mentoring Department
K-12
Moo-ving Towards A Better Biofuel
SURC Ballroom C/D
In the United States, ethanol fuel is mostly produced using corn, which is problematic because it competes with humans for food, and requires substantial amounts of fossil fuels for production. Cellulose is a vast potential source of energy. The applicability of cellulose fuel is hindered by the ability to competitively break cellulose into glucose. Our group looked into using naturally occurring bacteria and fungi found in a bovine stomach to perform this process. We took rumen fluid from a cow, and then applied several concentrations of the diluted fluid to cellulosic culture medias. This allowed us to isolate cellulose degrading microorganisms which we identified and cultured. We then tested the cultures for their efficiency in breaking down cellulose.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Hashimoto, Jeff