Although first-generation fuel ethanol is produced in Brazil from sugarcane-based raw materials with high efficiency, there is still little knowledge about the microbiology, the biochemistry and the molecular mechanisms prevalent in the non-aseptic fermentation environment. Learning-by-doing has hitherto been the strategy to improve the process so far, with further improvements requiring breakthrough technologies. Performing experiments at an industrial scale are often expensive, complicated to set up and difficult to reproduce. Thus, developing an appropriate scaled down system for this process has become a necessity. In this paper, we present the design and demonstration of a simple and effective laboratory-scale system mimicking the industrial process used for first generation (1G) fuel ethanol production in the Brazilian sugarcane mills. We benchmarked this system via the superior phenotype of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2 strain, compared to other strains from the same species: S288c, baker's yeast, and CEN.PK113-7D. We trust that such a system can be easily implemented in different laboratories worldwide, and will allow a better understanding of the S. cerevisiae strains that can persist and dominate in this industrial, non-aseptic and peculiar environment.

Hydrolysate was pervaporated with a block copolymer membrane, removing inhibitors but leaving sugars, creating a viable fermentation broth.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar isolados de fungos a partir de bagaço de cana-de-açúcar e madeira em decomposição e avaliar a sua atividade celulolítica em bagaço de cana. Cinco isolados foram avaliados, tendo-se como referências os fungos Trichoderma reesei QM9414 e T. reesei RUT C30. A atividade celulolítica foi estimada pela capacidade hidrolítica do extrato enzimático dos fungos cultivados em bagaço de cana sobre os substratos papel de filtro (atividade celulolítica total) e carboximetilcelulose sódica (atividade da endoglucanase). Os isolados foram identificados pela análise molecular da região 26S rDNA. Os gêneros Paecilomyces, Aspergillus, Acremonium/Penicillium e Trichoderma foram identificados. Embora T. reesei QM9414 tenha apresentado a mais alta atividade celulolítica total, alguns isolados também apresentaram alta atividade de endoglucanase. A biodiversidade, em nichos como bagaço de cana-de-açúcar, pode fornecer linhagens de fungos celulolíticos com grande potencial biotecnológico.Termos para indexação: Acremonium, Aspergillus, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Trichoderma, celulase, endoglucanase. Cellulolytic activitity of isolated fungi from sugarcane bagasse and decayed woodAbstract -The objective of this work was to identify fungi isolates from sugarcane bagasse and decayed wood, and to evaluate their cellulolytic activity on sugarcane bagasse. Five isolates were evaluated, as compared to Trichoderma reesei QM9414 and T. reesei RUT C30. The cellulolytic activity was estimated through the hydrolytic capacity of the enzymatic extract of fungi grown on sugarcane bagasse over filter paper (total cellulolytic activity) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (endoglucanase activity). The isolates were identified by molecular analysis of 26S rDNA region. Paecilomyces, Aspergillus, Acremonium/Penicillium and Trichoderma genera were identified. Although T. reesei QM9414 showed the highest total cellulolytic activity, some isolates showed higher endoglucanase activities. Biodiversity found in habitats such as sugarcane bagasse can provide strains of cellulolytic fungi with great biotechnological potential.