Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus ATCC 33223

Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus (strain ATCC 33223 / 39E) is the new name for Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus 39E (as of 5/31/07). Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus, a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, ferments a wide range of hexose and pentose sugars, as well as starch and pullulan, to ethanol. The organism expresses amylase and pullulanase enzymes under a variety of conditions, and the optimal growth temperature is approximately 65 degrees Celsius. It can also carry out iron reduction at elevated temperatures. Due to the ability to efficiently ferment pentoses, Thermoanaerobacter pseudoethanolicus has been proposed as a means for the production of industrial alcohol and has an approximate yield of 0.40 g of ethanol per g of xylose in batch or continuous culture. Economic analyses have shown that efficient fermentation of hemicellulosic sugars to ethanol by T. pseudoethanolicus or related Clostridium strains could have a large impact on the overall viability of the lignocellulosic bioconversion process. (EBI Integr8)