Genetic engineering of soft-rot bacteria for ethanol production from lignocellulose

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Abstract
The soft-rot bacteriaErwinia carotovora SR38 andErwinia chrysanthemi EC16 have been genetically engineered to efficiently produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as primary fermentation products from cellobiose, glucose and xylose. These organisms have the native ability to secrete a battery of hydrolases and lyases to aid in the solubilization of lignocellulose. Both strains of ethanologenicErwinia fermented cellobiose at twice the rate of the cellobioseutilizing yeasts (Spindler et al., 1992. Biotechnology Letters 14: 403–407) and may be useful in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes.