Fuels Synthesis Division
Sugars derived from starch-based biomass such as corn are simple and readily fermented by yeast, whereas the sugars derived from the deconstruction of lignocellulose are complex and contain chemicals which prevent them from being fermented by yeast. JBEI researchers in the Fuels Synthesis Division are using the tools of synthetic biology to engineer new microbes as an alternative to yeast that can quickly and efficiently ferment these complex sugars into biofuels, as well as into other valuable chemical products.
