Mathematical modeling of cellulose conversion to ethanol by the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process

Ethanol, a promising alternative fuel, can be produced by the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of lignocellulosic biomass, which combines the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose and the fermentation of glucose to ethanol by yeast in a single step.

A mathematical model that depicts the kinetics of SSF has been developed based on considerations of the quality of the substrate and enzyme, and the substrate-enzyme-microorganism interactions. Critical experimentation has been performed in conjunction with multiresponse nonlinear regression analysis to determine key model parameters regarding cell growth and ethanol production. The model will be used for rational SSF optimization and scale-up.