Name: a novel method for the pentosan analysis present in jute biomass and its conversion into sugar monomers using acidic ionic liquid
Uploaded: 2018-06-01T14:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Novel Method for the Pentosan Analysis Present in Jute Biomass and Its Conversion into Sugar Monomers Using Acidic Ionic Liquid at JoVE.com

We would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan (104-2628-E-002-008-MY3; 105-2218-E-155-007; 105-2221-E-002-003-MY3; 105-2221-E-002-227-MY3; 105-2622-E-155-003-CC2) and the Aim for Top University Project at National Taiwan University (105R7706) for the funding support. We are thankful to the World Bank for partial funding of this work through a subproject of Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP), Complete Proposal #2071. This work was also partially supported by University of Wollongong&#39;s AIIM (Gold funding).

Several chemicals used in the presenting work are toxic and carcinogenic. Please use all appropriate safety practices when performing synthesis of IL and biomass processing.
1. Preparation of Acidic IL
<ol>
	<li>Add 7.625 mmol of 1,3-propane sultone in a 50 mL round bottom flask and then close the flask with a rubber septum.</li>
	<li>Add 7.625 mmol of 1-methylimidazole into 7.625 mmol of 1,3-propanesultone slowly (10 min) at 0 &#176;C using a syringe (1 mL).</li>
	<li>After the complete add...

<ol>
	<li>Demirba&#351;, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Biomass+resource+facilities+and+biomass+conversion+processing+for+fuels+and+chemicals.">Biomass resource facilities and biomass conversion processing for fuels and chemicals.</a> Energy Convers. Manage. 42 (11), 1357-1378 (2001).</li><li>Matsagar, B. M., Dhepe, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Br&#246;nsted+acidic+ionic+liquid-catalyzed+conversion+of+hemicellulose+into+sugars.">Br&#246;nsted acidic ionic liquid-catalyzed conversion of hemicellulose into sugars.</a> Catal. Sci. Technol. 5 (1), 531-539 (2015).</li><li>Matsagar, B. M., Dhepe, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+cations,+anions+and+H++concentration+of+acidic+ionic+liquids+on+the+valorization+of+polysaccharides+into+furfural.">Effects of cations, anions and H+ concentration of acidic ionic liquids on the valorization of polysaccharides into furfural.</a> New J Chem. 41 (14), 6137-6144 (2017).</li><li>Costa Lopes, A. M., Morais, A. R. C., &#321;ukasik, R. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sustainable+Catalytic+Strategies+for+C5-Sugars+and+Biomass+Hemicellulose+Conversion+Towards+Furfural+Production.">Sustainable Catalytic Strategies for C5-Sugars and Biomass Hemicellulose Conversion Towards Furfural Production.</a> Production of Platform Chemicals from Sustainable Resources. , 45-80 (2017).</li><li>Matsagar, B. M., Munshi, M. K., Kelkar, A. A., Dhepe, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conversion+of+concentrated+sugar+solutions+into+5-hydroxymethyl+furfural+and+furfural+using+Bronsted+acidic+ionic+liquids.">Conversion of concentrated sugar solutions into 5-hydroxymethyl furfural and furfural using Bronsted acidic ionic liquids.</a> Catal. Sci. Technol. 5 (12), 5086-5090 (2015).</li><li>G&#252;rb&#252;z, E. I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conversion+of+Hemicellulose+into+Furfural+Using+Solid+Acid+Catalysts+in+&#947;-Valerolactone.">Conversion of Hemicellulose into Furfural Using Solid Acid Catalysts in &#947;-Valerolactone.</a> Angew Chem Int Ed. 52 (4), 1270-1274 (2013).</li><li>Filiciotto, L., Balu, A. M., Van der Waal, J. C., Luque, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Catalytic+insights+into+the+production+of+biomass-derived+side+products+methyl+levulinate,+furfural+and+humins.">Catalytic insights into the production of biomass-derived side products methyl levulinate, furfural and humins.</a> Catal Today. 302, 2-15 (2017).</li><li>Matsagar, B. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Direct+Production+of+Furfural+in+One-pot+Fashion+from+Raw+Biomass+Using+Br&#248;nsted+Acidic+Ionic+Liquids.">Direct Production of Furfural in One-pot Fashion from Raw Biomass Using Br&#248;nsted Acidic Ionic Liquids.</a> Sci. Rep. 7 (1), 13508 (2017).</li><li>Gschwend, F. J. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pretreatment+of+Lignocellulosic+Biomass+with+Low-cost+Ionic+Liquids.">Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Low-cost Ionic Liquids.</a> J Vis Exp. (114), e54246 (2016).</li><li>Xu, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transforming+biomass+conversion+with+ionic+liquids:+process+intensification+and+the+development+of+a+high-gravity,+one-pot+process+for+the+production+of+cellulosic+ethanol.">Transforming biomass conversion with ionic liquids: process intensification and the development of a high-gravity, one-pot process for the production of cellulosic ethanol.</a> Energy Environ. Sci. 9 (3), 1042-1049 (2016).</li><li>Sun, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=One-pot+integrated+biofuel+production+using+low-cost+biocompatible+protic+ionic+liquids.">One-pot integrated biofuel production using low-cost biocompatible protic ionic liquids.</a> Green Chem. 19 (13), 3152-3163 (2017).</li><li>Nguyen, C. V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Combined+treatments+for+producing+5-hydroxymethylfurfural+(HMF)+from+lignocellulosic+biomass.">Combined treatments for producing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from lignocellulosic biomass.</a> Catal Today. 278 (Part 2), 344-349 (2016).</li><li>Yan, N., Yuan, Y., Dykeman, R., Kou, Y., Dyson, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrodeoxygenation+of+Lignin-Derived+Phenols+into+Alkanes+by+Using+Nanoparticle+Catalysts+Combined+with+Br&#248;nsted+Acidic+Ionic+Liquids.">Hydrodeoxygenation of Lignin-Derived Phenols into Alkanes by Using Nanoparticle Catalysts Combined with Br&#248;nsted Acidic Ionic Liquids.</a> Angew Chem Int Ed. 49 (32), 5549-5553 (2010).</li><li>Weerachanchai, P., Lee, J. -. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Recyclability+of+an+ionic+liquid+for+biomass+pretreatment.">Recyclability of an ionic liquid for biomass pretreatment.</a> Bioresour. Technol. 169 (Supplement C), 336-343 (2014).</li><li>Shill, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ionic+liquid+pretreatment+of+cellulosic+biomass:+Enzymatic+hydrolysis+and+ionic+liquid+recycle.">Ionic liquid pretreatment of cellulosic biomass: Enzymatic hydrolysis and ionic liquid recycle.</a> Biotechnol Bioeng. 108 (3), 511-520 (2011).</li><li>Tadesse, H., Luque, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Advances+on+biomass+pretreatment+using+ionic+liquids:+An+overview.">Advances on biomass pretreatment using ionic liquids: An overview.</a> Energy Environ. Sci. 4 (10), 3913-3929 (2011).</li><li>Agirrezabal-Telleria, I., Gandarias, I., Arias, P. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Production+of+furfural+from+pentosan-rich+biomass:+Analysis+of+process+parameters+during+simultaneous+furfural+stripping.">Production of furfural from pentosan-rich biomass: Analysis of process parameters during simultaneous furfural stripping.</a> Bioresour. Technol. 143 (Supplement C), 258-264 (2013).</li><li>Yingying, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+Improved+Method+for+Determination+of+Pentosans+in+Pulps+using+Dual-Wavelength+Spectroscopy.">An Improved Method for Determination of Pentosans in Pulps using Dual-Wavelength Spectroscopy.</a> BioResources. 11 (3), 6801-6807 (2016).</li><li>Kumar, A. K., Sharma, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Recent+updates+on+different+methods+of+pretreatment+of+lignocellulosic+feedstocks:+a+review.">Recent updates on different methods of pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks: a review.</a> Bioresour. Bioprocess. 4 (1), 7 (2017).</li><li>Kumar, P., Barrett, D. M., Delwiche, M. J., Stroeve, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Methods+for+Pretreatment+of+Lignocellulosic+Biomass+for+Efficient+Hydrolysis+and+Biofuel+Production.">Methods for Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Efficient Hydrolysis and Biofuel Production.</a> Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 48 (8), 3713-3729 (2009).</li></ol>

The pentosan present in jute biomass conversion into C5 sugar monomers is demonstrated using various homogeneous Br&#248;nsted acidic catalysts such as H2SO4, HCl, and acidic IL. Furthermore, the catalytic result of the acidic IL was compared with the IL without acidity (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride). All reactions were performed in a Parr autoclave at 160 &#176;C in water. The usage of acidic IL showed the highest pentosan conversion when compared to homogeneous acids used in this work (min...

Biomass has great potential as a renewable energy and chemical source because it is sustainable, inexpensive, and equally distributed unlike fossil resources, which makes it one of the promising candidates to replace fossil feedstocks. The estimated production of lignocellulosic biomass is 146 billion metric tons per year1. The lignocellulosic biomass is mainly comprised of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose as its three major constituents. Lignin is an aromatic polymer made from phenylpropanoid units; on the other hand, cellulose and hemicellulose are the polysaccharide parts of the lignocellulosic biomass. Cellulose is composed of glucose units connected by &#946;(1&#8594;4) glycosidic linkage, whereas hemicellulose is made up of C5 sugars, C6 sugars, and sugar acids linked together by &#946; (1&#8594;4), &#946; (1&#8594;3) and &#946; (1&#8594;6) glycosidic bonds2,3. Along with various lignocellulosic biomass (bagasse, rice husk, wheat straw, etc.), the jute lignocellulose biomass is also produced in very large quantities (ca. 98% in 2014) in Asia compared to the total jute production in the world. India produces 1.96 x 106 metric tons of jute biomass while Bangladesh produces 1.34 x 106 metric tons of jute biomass compared to the total production of jute biomass in the world (3.39 x 106 metric tons) in 20144. The utilization of this non-edible biomass will not conflict with food demand. Hence, it is beneficial to use it as a stock for synthesizing a variety of value added chemicals (xylose, arabinose, furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), etc.). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, furfural and HMF are considered as some of the top 30 building block chemicals derived from biomass5. Furfural is obtained from xylose or directly from hemicellulose and can be converted to many important chemicals. Furfuryl alcohol, methyl furan, and tetrahydrofuran are important chemicals obtained from furfural6. Hence, conversion of lignocellulosic biomass such as jute biomass into C5 sugars and other important chemicals is an important topic.
Extensive reports are available on the various catalytic methods for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into value added chemicals. The mineral acids (HCl and H2SO4) and heterogeneous catalysts (Amberlyst, HMOR, HUSY, SAPO-44, etc.) were used significantly for the conversion of hemicellulose and lignocellulosic biomass into sugars (pentose and hexose sugars) and furans (furfural and HMF)7,8. The reusability and corrosiveness of mineral acid is a major issue. However, with the solid acid catalyst, higher temperature and pressures are required because the reaction occurs at the surface of the catalyst. To overcome these issues, recently ILs are reported for the valorization of biomass as a catalyst or solvent9,10,11,12,13,14. The use of IL as a solvent is not a better method because of its higher cost and the lower vapor pressure of ILs that creates difficulty in product separation. Therefore, it is imperative to use recyclable IL as a catalyst (in small amounts) in a water solvent system for the biomass conversion to value added chemicals.
Here, we present a method to use 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl) imidazolium hydrogen sulfate acidic IL as the catalyst for the direct conversion of pentosan present in jute biomass into sugar monomers without any pretreatment. Commonly, ILs are reported for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass10,15,16,17 whereas the very large quantity of ILs is used for the biomass pretreatment. Hence, it is always advantageous to use IL as the catalyst and to convert lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals without any additional treatment. Moreover, in the present work, the lignin concentration presented in jute biomass is calculated using Klason method which could be converted into various aromatic monomers18.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1-Methylimidazole</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>M50834</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1,3-Propanesultone</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P50706</td>
			<td>Moisture sensitive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>p-nitroaniline</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>185310</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Toluene</td>
			<td>J. T. Baker</td>
			<td>9460-03</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sulfuric acid</td>
			<td>Honeywell-Fluka</td>
			<td>30743</td>
			<td>Highly corrosive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydrochloric acid</td>
			<td>Honeywell-Fluka</td>
			<td>30719</td>
			<td>Highly corrosive</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>900856</td>
			<td>Highly hygroscopic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>D(+)-Xylose</td>
			<td>Acros Organics</td>
			<td>141001000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L(+)-Arabinose</td>
			<td>Acros Organics</td>
			<td>104981000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>UV-Spectrometer</td>
			<td>JASCO</td>
			<td>V-670</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parr reactor</td>
			<td>Parr USA</td>
			<td>Seriese 4560</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Parr reactor controller</td>
			<td>Parr USA</td>
			<td>Seriese 4848</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)</td>
			<td>JASCO</td>
			<td>Seriese LC-2000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Digital hot plate stirrer</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>SP142020-33Q Cimarec</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oven furnace</td>
			<td>Thermal Scientific</td>
			<td>FB1400 Thermolyne blast oven furnace</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a novel method for the pentosan analysis present in jute biomass and its conversion into sugar monomers using acidic ionic liquid

Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) are used for biomass valorization into valuable chemicals because of their remarkable properties such as thermal stability, lower vapor pressure, non-flammability, higher heat capacity, and tunable solubility and acidity. Here, we demonstrate a method for the synthesis of C5 sugars (xylose and arabinose) from the pentosan present in jute biomass in a one-pot process by utilizing a catalytic amount of Br&#248;nsted acidic 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate IL. The acidic IL is synthesized in the lab and characterized using NMR spectroscopic techniques for understanding its purity. The various properties of BAIL are measured such as acid strength, thermal and hydrothermal stability, which showed that the catalyst is stable at a higher temperature (250 &#176;C) and possesses very high acid strength (Ho 1.57). The acidic IL converts over 90% of pentosan into sugars and furfural. Hence, the presenting method in this study can also be employed for the evaluation of pentosan concentration in other kinds of lignocellulosic biomass.

The exact amount of pentosan and lignin recovered from the biomass depends on the type of lignocellulosic biomass. Similar types of lignocellulosic biomass collected from different places can have different concentration of pentosan and lignin. The jute biomass used in this study contains 20 wt% pentosan and 14 wt% lignin.
Figure 1 shows the comparison of the catalytic activity of ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Novel Method for the Pentosan Analysis Present in Jute Biomass and Its Conversion into Sugar Monomers Using Acidic Ionic Liquid at JoVE.com

A Novel Method for the Pentosan Analysis Present in Jute Biomass and Its Conversion into Sugar Monomers Using Acidic Ionic Liquid

We present a protocol for the synthesis of C5 sugars (xylose and arabinose) from a renewable non-edible lignocellulosic biomass (i.e., jute) with the presence of Br&#248;nsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) as the catalyst in water. The BAILs catalyst exhibited better catalytic performance than conventional mineral acid catalysts (H2SO4 and HCl).

Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) are used for biomass valorization into valuable chemicals because of their remarkable properties such as thermal stability, ...

The overall goal of this novel method is to convert pentosan present in jute biomass into C5 sugars using acidic ionic liquids.This method can also be used for the determination of pentosan concentrations present in the jute biomass.This measure enables the synthesis of C5 sugars from various low biomass in acerous media using a catalytic amount of acidic ionic liquid.The main advantage of this technique is that the acidic ionic liquid used for the conversion of jute biomass performs better compared to mineral acids.First have 7.625 millimoles of 1, 3-propane sultone to a cooled 50 milliliter round bottom flask and seal the flask with a rubber septum.Using a one milliliter syringe, slowly add 7.625 moles of 1-methylimidazole to the flask over 10 minutes at zero degrees Celsius.For the successful synthesis of this acidic ionic liquid the addition of 1, 3-propane sultone and 1-methylimidazole should be performed very slowly at zero degrees Celsius.Following this add 15 milliliters of dry toluene to the reaction mixture.After removing the ice water bath, reflux the reaction mixture or 16 hours at 120 degrees Celsius to obtain the solid zwitterion.After the reaction is complete separate the zwitterion from toluene using vacuum filtration.Then wash the zwitterion with 40 milliliters of toluene.For drying the zwitterion, set the temperature of an oven to 80 degrees celsius.Once the desired temperature is reached, transfer the zwitterion to a Petri dish and place in the oven to dry for four hours.After drying, transfer the dried zwitterion to a round bottom flask and add sulfuric acid using a 1, 000 microliter micropipet.Connect the round bottom flask to a reflux condenser.Then, heat the mixture under stirring at 110 degrees Celsius for 12 hours to obtain the desired ionic liquid.To prepare on liter of blank solution, add 10 milligrams of the para-nitroaniline indicator and distilled water to a 1 liter volumetric flask.Manually shake the solution thoroughly for two minutes, and set aside for one hour to fully mix the para-nitroaniline in water.To prepare the sample solution add 1.59 millimoles of H+ion of the acid catalyst to 50 milliliters of para-nitroaniline indicator solution and manual shake the mixture thoroughly for two minutes.Now perform a UV measurement of the blank and sample solutions and determine the maximum absorbance of para-nitroaniline.Add one gram of dried jute biomass and 15 milliliters of 72 weight percent sulfuric acid to a 50 milliliter vial.Stir the mixture on a hot plate at 30 degrees Celsius for two hours.Next add 150 milliliters of distilled water to a one liter round bottom flask and transfer the digested biomass sample to the flask.Wash the vial with 195 milliliters of water and transfer the water to the flask containing the digested biomass.Reflux the solution for four hours.Then cool the round bottom flask to room temperature.After 12 hours filter the solution using a G2 crucible to obtain the insoluble lignin and ash.Wash the insoluble solid with 150 milliliters of hot water to make it acid free.Dry the lignin and ash in the oven at 60 degrees Celsius for 16 hours, then transfer the solid to a Petri dish and further dry in the oven at 105 degrees Celsius for one hour.After drying place the sample in a desiccator to cool.Then weigh the cooled sample.Now perform the ash correction by heating the sample at 650 degrees Celsius for five hours in the presence of air.Determine the ash correction using the appropriate formula.Add two grams of oven dried jute biomass to a high pressure and high temperature batch reactor such as a 160 milliliter par reactor.Add 60 milliliters of water and 24 grams of acidic ionic liquid.Then close the reactor and increase the temperature to 160 degrees Celsius.Set the stirring speed to 200 RPM while the reactor is heating up to 160 degrees Celsius.Once the desired temperature is reached, increase the stirring speed to 600 RPM.After one hour, decrease the stirring speed to 200 RPM and stop the heating.Once the reactor is cool to room temperature stop the stirring and open the reactor.Separate the solid from the reaction mixture then analyze the reaction mixture using HPLC.Comparison of the catalytic activity of mineral acids and acidic ionic liquid for the conversion of jute biomass into C5 sugar is shown here.The catalytic activity is further compared with an ionic liquid without any Br

Research

JoVE Journal

Environment

Transient Gene Expression in Tobacco using Gibson Assembly and the Gene Gun

In order to target a single protein to multiple subcellular organelles, plants typically duplicate the relevant genes, and express each gene separately ...

High-throughput Screening of Recalcitrance Variations in Lignocellulosic Biomass: Total Lignin, Lignin Monomers, and Enzymatic Sugar Release

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels, chemicals, and other commodities has been explored as one possible pathway toward reductions in the ...

Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass with Low-cost Ionic Liquids

A number of ionic liquids (ILs) with economically attractive production costs have recently received growing interest as media for the delignification of ...

Modification and Application of a Leaf Blower-vac for Field Sampling of Arthropods

Rice fields host a large diversity of arthropods, but investigating their population dynamics and interactions is challenging. Here we describe the ...

A Lipid Extraction and Analysis Method for Characterizing Soil Microbes in Experiments with Many Samples

Microbial communities are important drivers and regulators of ecosystem processes. To understand how management of ecosystems may affect microbial ...

Optimized Procedure for Determining the Adsorption of Phosphonates onto Granular Ferric Hydroxide using a Miniaturized Phosphorus Determination Method

This paper introduces a procedure to investigate the adsorption of phosphonates onto iron-containing filter materials, particularly granular ferric ...

A Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for Rapid Identification of Bemisia tabaci

A Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification LAMP Assay for Rapid Identification of Bemisia tabaci

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an invasive pest of considerable importance, affecting the production of vegetable and ornamental crops in many ...

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings

An Induction System for Clustered Stomata by Sugar Solution Immersion Treatment in Arabidopsis thaliana Seedlings

Stomatal movement mediates plant gas exchange, which is essential for photosynthesis and transpiration. Stomatal opening and closing are accomplished by a ...

Microalgae Cultivation and Biomass Quantification in a Bench-Scale Photobioreactor with Corrosive Flue Gases

Photobioreactors are illuminated cultivation systems for experiments on phototrophic microorganisms. These systems provide a sterile environment for ...

A Telemetric, Gravimetric Platform for Real-Time Physiological Phenotyping of Plant&ndash;Environment Interactions

A Telemetric, Gravimetric Platform for Real-Time Physiological Phenotyping of Plant&#8211;Environment Interactions

Food security for the growing global population is a major concern. The data provided by genomic tools far exceeds the supply of phenotypic data, creating ...