This focus area addresses challenges, opportunities, and enabling science related to the microbially-mediated solubilization of the cellulose and hemicellulose components of sugar cane feedstocks (sugar cane bagasse and energy cane), as well as the use of cotreatment to render these components accessible to attack by microorganisms and their enzymes. Research activities include:

• Characterization of milling in terms of energy requirements and the impact on feedstock recalcitrance;

• Advanced bioreactor systems that integrate aseptic solids feeding, fermentation, and cotreatment;

• Characterization of microbial lignocellulose-fermenting microbial communities, and adaptive laboratory evolution;

• Metabolic engineering of hemicellulose-fermenting thermophilic anaerobes.

Research activities in the MCU area will be based at Chemical Engineering School (FEQ/UNICAMP).

This focus area addresses research related to the improvement of ethanol production (yield, titer, rate, and robustness) in biomass-fermenting thermophilic anaerobic bacteria including but not limited to Clostridium thermocellum. Progress in this endeavor depends on new, enabling understanding and features development and application of modern biotechnology tools for non-model microorganisms. Research activities include:

• Protein engineering to improve the functionality of critical enzymes;

• Troubleshooting heterologous metabolic pathways in E. coli;

• Development and application of biotechnology techniques for non-model microbes;

• Diagnosis and remediation of factors limiting industrial robustness.

Research activities in the Biotech area will be based at the Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG/UNICAMP).