One-Pot Bioconversion of Distiller’s Grains to Advanced Biofuels

Increase in bioethanol production throughout the US has led to an increase in the process coproduct — distiller’s grains with solubles (DGS). DGS can be used to feed livestock; however, product inconsistency and contamination issues have greatly reduced demand, resulting in significant surplus. In order to commoditize this DGS surplus, a team at Sandia developed a “one-pot” bioconversion process that converts the major biochemical pools (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) into valuable biofuels, industrial chemicals, and high-value acids for fertilization.