As the importance of looking after the environment continues to grow, YSI is dedicating time and expertise to help work towards an ecologically sustainable world.
By providing sensor technology through the environmental monitoring and life sciences products, YSI is taking steps to look after the earth. The question: “Who’s minding the planet?” is one that YSI has become synonymous with.
Cellulosic ethanol production
Working with biofuel researchers, and in particular those who are looking at cellulosic bioethanol production, such as the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), YSI is committed to careful and considered resource management and alternative energy supplies.
YSI scientists have been looking at how the wasted part of the crop can be put to use.
Pretreated cellulosic materials release a number of fermentable sugars – xylose and glucose make up the majority of these products. This means that cellulosi biomass such as agricultural residues could be significantly more economical in producing fuel grade ethanol than corn grain bio ethanol production. This would also leave the main crop for food production and avoid placing added pressure on growers and the planet.
Introduced in 2008, the YSI xylose membrane for use on YSI platforms, can be configured with glucose on the opposite electrode and give scientists a rapid one-minute simultaneous measurement of the two sugars.
The US NREL has found this to be a favourable option to the HPLC method, where results from each sample could take 40 minutes.
And with the 2010 improvements to the xylose membrane, a greater measurement range of 0-50 g/l can now be achieved, as well as low level detection and precision of results.
Low Carbon Economy
In the UK, YSI has been providing biochemistry platforms for ethanol, xylose and glucose analysis to biofuel research and production companies. As this sector grows, YSI will remain at the forefront of developments.
YSI (UK) is registered with the Low Carbon Economy group, which was set up to boost the low carbon economy by creating connections between businesses and people with low carbon knowledge, solutions and opportunities. Through the website, the low carbon economy initiative is gaining moment, and the organisation states: “We are now at the start of the low carbon revolution”.