especially for biotechnicians.
Thanks to Australian researchers, a promising discovery was made that "there is a potential new industry with the evolution of local biofuel processing plants to add value to the grape for an environmentally friendly biofuel" (Rachel Burton, associate professor and program leader with the Australian Research Council). As published in the Bioresearch Technology journal, global wine production creates an estimated 13 million tons of grape marc waste every year -- something that "is generally disposed of at a cost to the winery" according to researchers. However, new economic use for this waste product was identified when Kendall Corbin, a University of Adelaide PhD student, conducted a study and analysis of the composition of grape marc and found that through fermentation the majority of the carbohydrates in grape marc could be converted directly into ethanol -- 400 liters of bioethanol produced from one metric ton of grape marc to be exact! In a statement, Corbin shared that "using plant biomass for the production of liquid biofuels can be difficult because of its structurally complex nature that is not always easily broken down, [but] grape marc is readily available, can be sourced cheaply and is rich in the type of carbohydrates that are easily fermented." Even better, any additional leftover product was found suitable as a fertilizer and/or for animal feed. It is very exciting to see new uses being found for something that would otherwise require mass disposal (alternatively, grape marc usually becomes toxic landfill). This development is a major win for both people and the planet! On that note, we happily raise our glasses for a toast and say crush on!
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