SCREENING FOR ETHANOL-PRODUCING FILAMENTOUS FUNGI

Of nineteen Aspergilli and ten Rhizopus strains examined for their abi lity to ferment simple sugars (glucose, xylose, and arabinose) as well as complex substrates (cellulose, oat-spelt xylan, corn fiber, and co rn germ pressing), three Rhizopus strains were identified that could p roduce more than 31 g ethanol/l under anaerobic stress. By 72 h, gluco se, xylose, cellobiose, and corn fiber were fermented with perspective yields of 100, 47, 80, and 40 percent, of theoretical.