Team:Edinburgh/Data collection

How to assay cellulose?

Ok, so we *do* need data to feed them back to the model. How do we go about acquiring them? At the least, we need to know the quantities of two of {cellulose, cellobiose, glucose}.

A [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bp034316x paper] I read used HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), but our equipment would not detect cellulose directly, or glucose at the sorts of concentrations we're interested in.

A [http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/1987/pdf/5902x0257.pdf IUPAC paper] describes what seems to be a relatively simple method of assaying the degradation of a piece of filter paper. This looks like a promising way to get data.

References

• Ghose TK. Measurement of cellulase activities. Pure Appl Chem 1987;59:257–68, [http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/1987/pdf/5902x0257.pdf available here]

• Kadam, KL, Rydholm, EC, McMillan JD (2004) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bp034316x Development and Validation of a Kinetic Model for Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocellulosic Biomass]. Biotechnology Progress Vol. 20, Issue 3: 698–705, (doi: 10.1021/bp034316x).