• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2009

To evaluate the effects of chemical pretreatments of lignocellulosic biomass on enzymatic hydrolysis process, Populus euramericana was pretreated for 1 hr with 1% sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$) at $150^{\circ}C$ and 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at $160^{\circ}C$, respectively. Before the enzymatic hydrolysis, each pretreated sample was subjected to drying process and thus finally divided into four subgroups; dried or non-dried acid pretreated samples and dried or non-dried alkali pretreated samples and chemical and physical properties of them were analyzed. Biomass degradation by acid pretreatment was determined to 6% higher compared to alkali pretreatment. By the action of acid ca. 24.5% of biomass was dissolved into solution, while alkali degraded ca. 18.6% of biomass. However, reverse results were observed in delignification rates, in which alkali pretreatment released 2% more lignin fragment from biomass to the solution than acid pretreatment. Unexpectedly, samples after both pretreatments were determined to somewhat higher crystallinity than untreated samples. This result may be explained by selective disrupture of amorphous region in cellulose during pretreatments, thus the cellulose crystallinity seems to be accumulated in the pretreated samples. SEM images revealed that pretreated samples showed relative rough and partly cracked surfaces due to the decomposition of components, but the image of acid pretreated samples which were dried was similar to that of the control. In pore size distribution, dried acid pretreated samples were similar to the control, while that in alkali pretreated samples was gradually increased as pore diameter increased. The pore volume which increased by acid pretreatment rapidly decreased by drying process. Alkali pretreatment was much more effective on enzymatic digestibility than acid pretreatment. The sample after alkali pretreatment was enzymatically hydrolyzed up to 45.8%, while only 26.9% of acid pretreated sample was digested at the same condition. The high digestibility of the sample was also influenced to the yields of monomeric sugars during enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, drying process of pretreated samples affected detrimentally not only to digestibility but also to the yields of monomeric sugars.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.351-356
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• 2010

To increase the production of ethanol by using sugar from lignocellulosic biomass, pentose and hexose have to be fermented simultaneously by yeast. The effects of mixed sugar and nitrogen on ethanol production by immobilized Pichia stipitis KCCM 12009 were investigated. When optimal mixed sugar and nitrogen concentration were 5% (Glucose/Xylose = 3:1) and 1%, respectively, ethanol concentration produced by immobilized P. stipitis was 19-20 g/L. In repeated fed-batch by immobilized P. stipitis, all glucose was consumed very quickly at 1-3% mixed sugar concentration. But, xylose consumption was decreased as the mixed sugar concentration increased. Also, ethanol (5.6 g/L) was stably produced and ethanol production rate was 0.13 g/$L{\cdot}h$ in immobilized cell reactor (ICR) with 1% mixed sugar (Glucose/Xylose = 3:1) as feeding media.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.119-126
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• 2016

In this study, we separated the lignin from the wood by using the high boiling point solvent for developing more environmental friendly pulping method. High boiling point solvents as Ethers, glycols and ketones were used to remove the lignin in the pine wood meals. The Yield and lignin content of residual wood meals was reduced according to the input of the catalyst. Me-C, E-Ca, TEG and MIBK had the best delignification rate of 9 kinds of high-boiling point solvents. At the hydrolysis ratio of the selected solvents, The TEG was highest remain ratio of carbohydrates and the E-Ca was lowest remain ratio of lignin. And the Me-C was most excellent lignin hydrolysis ratio at the low catalyst. The selectivity of delignification of Me-C, E-Ca, TEG and MIBK solvents were 49.6, 49.9, 53.8 and 53.1%, respectively, and its values were similar to those of the commercial Kraft Pulp.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.140-148
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• 2010

This study was to investigate the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose using the cellulase from whole body of the native termite collected in Milyang-si, Kyungsangnamdo, Korea. In the results, optimal temperature and pH for the enzyme of native termites were $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5 for both endo-${\beta}$-1, 4-glucanase and ${\beta}$-glucosidase. Enzyme activity of the termite enzyme was shown $8.8{\times}10^{-2}\;FPU/m{\ell}$. And the highest glucose hydrolysis rate of cellulose by the digestive enzyme from test termites was 24.5% based on the glucan, comparing 59.7% by commercial enzyme (only celluclast 1.5 L) at 1% (w/v) substrate and 36 hours in hydrolysis time. This hydrolysis rate by the digestive enzyme from test termites was comparatively high value in 41% level of the commercial enzyme. When cellulose was hydrolyzed by the digestive enzyme of the native termite, glucose hydrolysis was almost completed in 12 hours which was the considerably reduced time for cellulose hydrolysis. It was suggested that the quiet short reaction time for cellulose hydrolysis by the enzyme from native termite could be a very high advantage for development of hydrolysis cellulase for lignocellulosic biomass.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 2012

Carbon catabolite repression (CCR) is a key regulatory system found in most microorganisms that ensures preferential utilization of energy-efficient carbon sources. CCR helps microorganisms obtain a proper balance between their metabolic capacity and the maximum sugar uptake capability. It also constrains the deregulated utilization of a preferred cognate substrate, enabling microorganisms to survive and dominate in natural environments. On the other side of the same coin lies the tenacious bottleneck in microbial production of bioproducts that employs a combination of carbon sources in varied proportion, such as lignocellulose-derived sugar mixtures. Preferential sugar uptake combined with the transcriptional and/or enzymatic exclusion of less preferred sugars turns out one of the major barriers in increasing the yield and productivity of fermentation process. Accumulation of the unused substrate also complicates the downstream processes used to extract the desired product. To overcome this difficulty and to develop tailor-made strains for specific metabolic engineering goals, quantitative and systemic understanding of the molecular interaction map behind CCR is a prerequisite. Here we comparatively review the universal and strain-specific features of CCR circuitry and discuss the recent efforts in developing synthetic cell factories devoid of CCR particularly for lignocellulose-based biorefinery.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1476-1484
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• 2015

Three endoxylanase-encoding genes from the moderately themophilic chemoorganotrophic bacterium Melioribacter roseus were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Genes xyl2091 (Mros_2091) and xyl2495 (Mros_2495) encode GH10 family hydrolases, whereas xyl2090 (Mros_2090) represents the GH30 family. In addition to catalytic domains, Xyl2090 and Xyl2091 contain carbohydrate-binding modules that could facilitate their binding to xylans and Por sorting domains associated with the sorting of proteins from the periplasm to the outer membrane, where they are covalently attached. Recombinant endoxylanase Xyl2495 exhibited a high specific activity of 1,920 U/mg on birchwood xylan at 40℃. It is active at low temperatures, exhibiting more than 30% of the maximal activity even at 0℃. Endoxylanases Xyl2090 and Xyl2091 have lower specific activities but higher temperature optima at 80℃ and 65℃, respectively. Analysis of xylan hydrolysis products revealed that Xyl2090 generates xylo-oligosaccharides longer than xylopentaose. Xylose and xylobiose are the major products of xylan hydrolysis by the recombinant Xyl2091 and Xyl2495. No activity against cellulose was observed for all enzymes. The presence of three xylanases ensures efficient xylan hydrolysis by M. roseus. The highly processive "free" endoxylanase Xyl2495 could hydrolyze xylan under moderate temperatures. Xylan hydrolysis at elevated temperatures could be accomplished by concerted action of two cell-bound xylanases; Xyl2090 that probably degrades xylans to long xylo-oligosaccharides, and Xyl2091 hydrolyzing them to xylose and xylobiose. The new endoxylanases could be useful for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass in biofuels production, bleaching of paper pulp, and obtaining low molecular weight xylooligosaccharides.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2015

${\beta}$-Glucosidase, which hydrolyzes cellobiose into two glucoses, plays an important role in the process of saccharification of the lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we optimized the activity of ${\beta}$-glucosidase of brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola KCTC 6208 using the response surface methodology (RSM) with various concentrations of glucose, yeast extract and ascorbic acid, which are the most significant nutrients for activity of ${\beta}$-glucosidase. The highest activity of ${\beta}$-glucosidase was achieved 3.02% of glucose, 4.35% of yeast extract, and 7.41% ascorbic acid where ascorbic acid was most effective. The maximum activity of ${\beta}$-glucosidase predicted by the RSM was 15.34 U/mg, which was similar to the experimental value 14.90 U/mg at the 16th day of incubation. This optimized activity of ${\beta}$-glucosidase was 23.6 times higher than the preliminary activity value, 0.63 U/mg, and was also much higher than previous values reported in other fungi strains. Therefore, a simplified medium supplemented with a cheap vitamin source, such as ascorbic acid, could be a cost effective mean of increasing ${\beta}$-glucosidase activity.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.22-34
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• 2018

Miscanthus has been considered as the most promising bioenergy crop for lignocellulosic biomass production. In Korea, M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis can be found easily in all regions. It is a great advantage to utilize as important species with respect to genetic and cross-breeding programs materials for creation of novel hybrids. For successful breeding programs, it is important to precisely understand the variability of morphological and growth characteristics among Miscanthus species as breeding parent materials. In this study, morphological and growth characteristics were observed in 960 germplasms of two Miscanthus species (M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis) for growing seasons over three years. Due to the inherent characteristics of these species, the germplasm of M. sacchariflorus among the collected germplasm were reduced in plant height than in the collection area. In M. sinensis, the plant height of germplasm collected mainly from Jeju-do increased more than those collected from collection area. Sixty-one of the collected 960 germplasms were selected and investigated to the morphological characteristics. Based on the investigated morphological data, the phylogenic tree was developed. As the results, it was confirmed that there exist germplasm in which the characteristics of M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis are mixed. This study of Miscanthus may provide an important information in order to expedite the introduction as breeding materials for creation of new hybrid.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.159-165
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• 2007

An extracellular xylanase from the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris grown on rice straw culture was purified to a single protein band. On SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of purified enzyme was estimated to be about 43 kDa. The amino acid sequence of the proteolytic fragments showed high homology with fungal glycoside hydrolase family 10 xylanases. The $K_m$, $K_{cat}$ and $V_{max}$ for birch xylan were $31mg/m{\ell}$, $2.3{\times}10^4/min$ and 252.3 U/mg, respectively. The optimal activity of the purified xylanase from F palustris was observed at pH 4.0~5.0 and $70^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.335-350
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• 2013

With the efforts to development of renewable energy technologies, and increasing awareness to environmental issues, the usage of wood pallets has been increasing every year since the introduction of wood pallet technology to the domestic market. until 2009, majority usage of pellet boiler was in the residential houses. In an effort to increase the distribution of wood pellet boiler to cultivation facilities with high usage of fuels, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has launched a distribution project of wood pellet boiler for fuel usage as a part of the agricultural and fishery energy efficiency projects. Although only small number of farms with a heat-culturing facility have replaced from conventional boiler to pellet boiler. Although part of reason for low usage of pallet boiler is lack of understanding and information of it, the main reasons are high initial cost and uncertainty of its cost efficiency. Also, most people from agricultural industry don't realize it's significance in terms of environmental benefit due to lack of understanding in 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'. In this study, first, we did a cost-efficiency analysis of the farm which uses a diesel boiler to grow cucumber, tomato, paprika. Then we replaced the diesel boiler to a pallet boiler and measured its cost-efficiency again. By comparing the cost-efficiency of the diesel boiler with the pellet boiler, we analyzed the economic viability of pellet boiler. Then we analyzed viability of pallet boiler usage in terms of 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'. As a result of our analysis, we have found out that under the current system of government support, the energy usage varies depends of the types crops grown and the higher the energy use, the more cost efficient it is to use the pallet boiler. Also, it is economically viable to use the pallet boiler in terms of 'resource circulation' and 'adopting to climate change'.