iDiverse Develops Stress Resistant Yeast for Improved Ethanol Yields

iDiverse announced that it has successfully modified yeast to be highly resistant to a number of lethal stresses normally encountered in the bioproduction of fuel ethanol. In doing so, iDiverse has enabled the yeast to generate significantly more ethanol.

"We are very pleased with our 1st generation, proof-of-concept technology and are rapidly developing a 2nd generation with yet better commercial performance characteristics," said Richard Schneeberger, Director of Business Development at iDiverse. "Our technology is applicable to current fuel ethanol manufacturing processes using corn and sugar cane as starting materials and also to those being developed to use cellulosic biomass. Our technology keeps cells alive in extreme conditions including those found in biomass processes."

"The economic impact of this can be huge," said John Burr, president and CEO of iDiverse. "If our technology is effective at large-scale, it could increase the efficiency of installed fuel ethanol plants, enhance yields from corn and sugar cane feed stocks, and help manufacturers bridge the fuel ethanol production gap until the next generation biomass plants come on-line. In addition, we think we can help increase the manufacturing output of cellulosic biomass technologies under development."