Processing biomass

Abstract

Provided are methods of inducing enzymes, and for treating cellulosic and lignocellulosic biomass with the enzyme.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, the method comprising:
 treating a lignocellulosic material with a beam of electrons, wherein the electrons have an energy level range of between 0.8 MeV and 1.8 MeV and wherein the treating is performed to a dose of between 2 and 50 Mrad;   milling the treated lignocellulosic material to a particle size of between 30 and 1400 μm; and   combining the milled material with  Trichoderma reesei  to induce enzyme production.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material has been treated to reduce its recalcitrance by a treatment method selected from the group consisting of: sonication, oxidation, pyrolysis, steam explosion, chemical treatment, mechanical treatment, and freeze grinding. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the milling comprises dry milling. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the milling comprises wet milling. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is milled to a particle size of between 30 and 200 μm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is milled to a particle size of between 30 and 50 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of wood, grasses, and agricultural residues. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of: paper, paper products, paper waste, paper pulp, pigmented papers, loaded papers, coated papers, filled papers, magazines, printed matter, printer paper, polycoated paper, card stock, cardboard, paperboard, cotton, wood, particle board, forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses, switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls, agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp, agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, offal, agricultural or industrial waste, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava, kudzu, oca, sago,  sorghum,  potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans, favas, lentils, peas, and mixtures of any of these. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises a residue of a saccharification or fermentation process. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the  Trichoderma reesei  strain is selected from the group consisting of: RUT-NG14, PC3-7, QM9414, and/or RUT-C30. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the  Trichoderma reesei  strain is RUT-C30. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic material is combined with  Trichoderma reesei  when  Trichoderma reesei  is in a lag phase. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising saccharifying the lignocellulosic material, and/or additional lignocellulosic material, using the enzyme(s) produced. 
     
     
         14 . A composition comprising:
 a liquid medium;   a lignocellulosic material having been treated with a beam of electrons at a dose of between 2 and 50 Mrad and milled to a particle size of between 30 and 1400 μm;     Trichoderma reesei;  and   one or more enzymes produced by  Trichoderma reesei;      
       wherein the electrons have an energy level range of between 0.8 MeV and 1.8 MeV.