Presentation

The transition from petroleum-based non-renewable sources to renewable feedstock for clean energy production is an ambition shared by nations and states across the globe. To accomplish marketable cellulosic ethanol, effective technologies for conversion of structural polysaccharides from plant biomass into fermentable sugars are still being demanded. Improvement of economics for production of cellulases and hemicellulases will contribute substantially to reduce price of cellulosic ethanol, but further studies aimed at understanding and improving the efficiency and productivity of hemicellulase / cellulase are essential.

In this context, the workshop “Second Generation Bioethanol 2011: Enzymatic Hydrolysis” will assist on disseminating this cutting edge research area in Brazil, but also strengthen partnerships between the National scientific community and Brazilian Laboratory of Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE). This is the second edition of this event, first occurred in 2010 and over one hundred people registered and attended. At that time the topic of discussion was focused on the process of hydrolysis carried out by fungi. This second edition we will continue the discussions started in 2010, as well as we intend to extend them by bringing the scientific topics such as:

i) interactions between hydrolytic enzymes and structural cell wall polysaccharides of plants and
ii) relations between structure and function of enzymes, and
iii) economical issues related for cellulosic ethanol bioprocesses.