Biotechnology for a sustainable future: biomass and beyond

WashU Affiliated Authors: Joshua S. Yuan (Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering)

First Paragraph: Biomass is the most abundant renewable energy source; its energy is stored in chemical bonds during photosynthetic CO2 reduction [1.]. Lignocellulosic biomass is also the largest source of renewable polymers [2.]. Innovations in using this abundant natural resource have profoundly impacted the advancement of human civilization. Two million years ago, humans first learned to set fire with biomass and used it as an energy source. With the advancement of human society, lignocellulosic biomass has been widely used for construction, furniture, animal feed, and energy. About 2000 years ago, paper was first manufactured from biomass: early papermaking was a story of how to best obtain and use biomass fibers [3.].

Citation/DOI: DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.09.020