M. Tech. Biotechnology. / Fossil fuel is a finite energy source which produces harmful by-products when used for combustion. A possible alternative is bio-fuel, preferably made from non-food cellulosic plants, such as bagasse or wood. Currently, there are some commercial enzymes which degrade cellulose, but there is room for improvement in both rate and sugar yield. The sugars derived from cellulose degradation are fermented to produce fuel-ethanol. This study utilized metagenomics to create a library containing environmental microbial DNA isolated from the rumen of cows. The aim of this study was to isolate local cellulolytic enzymes, more suited to the native environment and plant material, for potential use in the bio-fuel industry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1000588 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Kemp, Johan. |
| Contributors | Van der Merwe, M. P. Roux., Badenhorst, J. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format |
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