2008 Volume 19 Issue 6 Pages 246-256
Worldwide commercialized and developing processes for the production of bio-ethanol from cane juice, molasses, starch-based biomass and cellulosic biomass are reviewed. Continuous and repeated-bath fermentation processes for the production of industrial- and fuel-ethanol from molasses, using flocculating yeast that was constructed in our laboratory through protoplast fusion, are also introduced. On the basis of these results, there is an ongoing study on development of efficient processes for the production of bio-ethanol made from various waste biomass, including starch-based wastes, such as non-standardized potato; garbage; crop resources such as beet juice; and cellulose biomass such as wood from architectural refuse and bamboo. To activate an interest on a local level in Kumamoto Prefecture, a campaign known as Resource Recycle-oriented Town has been started, it currently focuses on efficient biotechnology whereby ethanol fermentation is the core technology.
