Usingorange peels and newspapersAs raw material, scientists from the University of Florida (United States) have managed to produceethanol. The characteristics of the new method of manufacturing this biofuel are published in the magazinePlant Biotechnology Journal.
Currently, to obtain ethanol, mainly thecornstarch, although it produces more greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. In contrast, the new ethanol developed from oranges and other products such as newsprint or wood generates much less emissions than those derived from petroleum. Another advantage is that the method could also be applied to sugar cane and straw.
Depending on the waste product used, a specific combination of more than10 natural enzymesto transform biomass into sugar and finally into ethanol. Orange peels need the enzyme pectinase, while wood waste requires more amounts of xylanase. To produce these enzymes, the scientists introduced genes from wood decay fungi and bacterial genes into tobacco plants. The production of these enzymes in tobacco, instead of synthetic versions in the laboratory, could lower the cost of production by about a thousand times, which would significantly reduce the cost of producing ethanol.
In Florida alone, researchers have calculated that the orange peels that are discarded and this method could produce 757 million liters of ethanol per year.
