This breakthrough discovery that could significantly advance more efficient and sustainable large-scale production of ethanol from agro-industrial waste
02/19/2025
Researchers from the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), in collaboration with other institutions both in Brazil and abroad, revealed yesterday a breakthrough discovery that could significantly advance the large-scale production of ethanol from agro-industrial waste, such as sugarcane bagasse and corn straw. This form of ethanol, known as second-generation or cellulosic ethanol, has long held promise but faced technical challenges in its production. The findings were published in Nature on Wednesday (12).
The researchers identified a metalloenzyme called CelOCE (Cellulose Oxidative Cleaving Enzyme), which improves cellulose conversion through a previously unknown mechanism. This enzyme addresses one of the sector’s most pressing issues: the breakdown of cellulose biomass, a critical stage in fuel production.
According to a report by Agência Fapesp, the research arm of the São Paulo State Research Support Fund, cellulose is the most abundant plant polymer on Earth but is notoriously resistant to degradation. In nature, its breakdown is slow and requires a complex enzyme system.
With CelOCE, the team has pioneered a new mechanism—oxidative cleavage—that enhances the efficiency of cellulose decomposition. Currently, the efficiency of this process ranges between 60% and 70%, but CelOCE has the potential to increase that yield to 80%. Not only is the process more efficient, but it is also more sustainable, as it requires fewer and less complex enzymes than traditional methods.
“Any improvement in yield is significant, especially when we’re talking about hundreds of millions of tons of waste being converted,” said Mário Murakami, leader of the biocatalysis and synthetic biology research group, in an interview with Agência Fapesp.
The scientists note that CelOCE’s role is not to directly produce the final ethanol product but to assist in the initial breakdown of cellulose. Its action enhances the effectiveness of other enzymes, ultimately improving their ability to convert raw materials into sugars, which can then be used for ethanol production.
*By Izabel Gimenez, Globo Rural — São Paulo
Source: Valor International