SURVEY AND ANALYSIS OF COMMERCIAL CELLULASE PREPARATIONS SUITABLE FORBIOMASS CONVERSION TO ETHANOL

Commercial cellulase enzymes have been used in the food, detergent, an d textile industries, and are potentially effective for processing bio mass feedstocks. A survey was undertaken to identify major manufacture rs/distributors of cellulases in the USA and to evaluate 13 representa tive commercial preparations for enzyme activity, protein concentratio n, and chemical composition. Samples were subjected to activity measur ements using filter paper, carboxymethylcellulose, cellobiose, and p-n itrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside as substrates. To ascertain the micr obial origin of the commercial preparations, Western blots utilizing m onoclonal antibodies specific for Trichoderma reesei CBH I and Aspergi llus niger beta-D-glucosidase were developed. Eleven of the cellulases tested were of T. reesei or T. viride origin and two were from A. nig er.