University Of Maryland Professors Invent Advanced Method Of Biofuel Production

College Park, MD (AHN) - A startup of two University of Maryland (UM) professors will produce biofuel from plant waste and paper waste faster and cheaper using their biomass processing invention that involves a prototype of a bacterium from Chesapeake Bay.

College of Chemical and Life Sciences professors and Zymetis Corp. officials Steve Hutcheson and Ron Weiner presented Monday to Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and university officials the new biofuel processing technology under license from UM. The technology involves growing the marsh grass-eating bacterium Saccharophagus degradans in the laboratory and using it to create a special enzyme that easily breaks down any biomass source or plant life into sugar, an ingredient of ethanol and other biofuels.

According to Mtech.umd.edu, Zymetis founder and CEO, Hutcheson, said, "Ethazyme breaks down cellulosic sources faster and more simply than any product available, resulting in lower costs."

Existing ethanol producers use chemicals and a long process to convert rigid cellulose materials into biofuel-ready sugars.

With Ethazyme, Zymetis can potentially produce 75 billion gallons a year of carbon-neutral ethanol.

Zymetis' partner, UM's MTECH's Bioprocess Scale-Up Facility, is developing a technique to mass produce the bacterium. The facility is part of a UM program dedicated to research, education and the development of biotechnology products and processes for Maryland companies.