Development of sustainable, renewable, and clean sources of energy, chemicals and materials is a major challenge for the world, Canada is rich in biomass which could be converted into a broad suite of fuels, fine chemicals, and materials (bioproducts). However, a major technical challenge is that biomass is made of lignocellulose, a material that must be teased apart and broken down by enzymes to produce the raw building blocks that are used to make useful products. Commercial enzymes for these purposes exist, but they are often not efficient not economical. The purpose of this project is to discover novel and improved enzymes to convert lignocellulosic biomass into sugars and other components that can, in turn, be used to produce a broad spectrum of bioproducts. Ultimately, the team is developing solutions for the efficient and sustainable conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into industrial feedstocks and is focused on creating technical resources and expertise to support development of sustainable processes that will benefit Canadian industries and expand the bioproduct sector.
ActiveAgriculture & Agri-food
Climate Action Through Grazing (CAT-G)
Competition/Funding OpportunityGenome Canada - Climate-smart agriculture and food systems- interdisciplinary challenge teams
Project Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s)Carolyn Fitzsimmons (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)/University of Alberta) & James Cahill (University of Alberta)