Carabao rumen can be used in producing cellulosic biofuel
A Filipino-American scientist has asked the government and the private sector for a P100-million research fund on the use of water buffalo’s (Philippine carabao) rumen in producing cellulosic biofuel.
Dr. Fiorello Abenes, a professor emeritus of animal and veterinary sciences at
He said the bacteria in the rumen of a subspecies of water buffalo could help produce lignocellulosic biofuel.
Rumen is the large first chamber of a ruminant animal’s stomach where microorganisms break down plant cellulose before the food is returned to the mouth as cud for additional chewing.
“This is a significant breakthrough in the commercialization of biomass ethanol,” Abenes said. “The model using the carabao paradigm solves two of the biggest hurdles of commercialization — the costly and environmentally destructive pre-treatment of biomass and the costly use of purified enzymes to breakdown lignocellulose.”
Abenes’ study entitled, “Validation of a Paradigm: The Philippine Carabao as a Model for Cellulosic Ethanol Production,” won third prize in the 7th Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development’s (PCIERD) science and technology fora and competitions in industry and energy research and development.
PCIERD is an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology.
The study found that lignocellulose can be turned into ethanol-fermentable carbohydrates through the activities of the rumen organisms.
According to reports, scientists around the world are researching ways to achieve the same goal, but their strategies are mostly based on expensive enzymes, chemical or physical hydrolysis or even synthetic organisms.
The natural conversion of biomass in the buffalo’s pouch could constitute the first fermentation step that breaks down the difficult cell walls of lignocellulosic biomass, to release the sugars contained in it, Abenes said. – Helen Flores
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