Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello,

It's been a while since I've been on the Science Buddies forums. Ms. Donna Hardy helped me throughout my last year's science project.

This year, I'm interested in pursuing artificial photosynthesis. Before I choose my question for my project, I'd like to find out if it is possible to be done without a lab, and not at the nano-scale. If not, I may possible have to switch my idea.

Here are some articles about artificial photosynthesis:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... g-the-leaf
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ar900209b
http://newscenter.lbl.gov/news-releases ... synthesis/
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-artific ... thesis.htm
http://gcep.stanford.edu/research/facts ... photo.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/enviro ... thesis.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/arti ... -if-its-n/
http://depts.washington.edu/chemcrs/bul ... olar.2.pdf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 103646.htm
http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semi ... echnology-

Thanks,
Irregular

EDIT:
If this isn't possible, some other science projects I will consider include:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p025.shtml
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p066.shtml
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es901950j

Hello,
Artificial photosynthesis sounds like an amazing project, the technology has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. However, from the links that you provided, it seems that the bulk of research is focused on bioengineering molecules that are able to capture and store the energy in light waves. They seem to model the biological system found in plants that utilize electron transport chains to transfer energy from the light wave into a biologically useful form. However, I do not think that this type of bioengineering project is possible without access to a scientific lab and a mentor who has experience in this field. Sorry, but perhaps there is another facet of photosynthesis that you would like to explore, perhaps measuring its efficiency to determine how efficient artificial photosynthesis would be in harnessing the sun's energy. You could compare it to the efficiency of various solar panels to determine which form of reusable energy can harness the sun's energy more productively.

Good Luck with your project,
Nithin T

Hi,

This is the best approach to artificial photosynthesis of which I am aware:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-release ... synthesis/

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Arc ... -fuel.html

http://pbd.lbl.gov/PBD_web_site/web_sit ... /frei.html

http://www.citris-uc.org/files/Frei%20DK%20visit.pdf

If you are seriously interested in this approach, in your shoes I would get a copy of the Frei and Jiao paper in Angewante Chemie, study it, and see how easy it looks to replicate. I suspect you would need access to a college level research lab and a friendly professor mentor to get very far. Since this research is just a year or two old it may be difficult to get access to a lab equipt to replicate it, but you can certainly try. Otherwise I am unable to suggest a project to meet your criteria.

Good luck!

Barrett L Tomlinson

Hello,

Thank you so much for your input and advice, I really appreciate it. However unfortunately I will not be able to gain access to a lab or specialized mentor.

If you do have any other possible project ideas for me, please do respond. I will search for other possible ideas, and if am unsuccessful will settle on the Microbial Desalination Cell project (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es901950j), as a continuation of last year's project (where I constructed a Microbial Fuel Cell). I am hoping to finalize my idea by the end of this month.

Thank you.

EDIT: I am looking for creative, original, interesting subjects in environmental science/biology. I enjoy reading articles on the Scientific American website. Hopefully I will be able to use my resources creatively (school science supply, dad's engineering plant,etc) for the project, since this year it won't be possible to have a specialized mentor or access a lab.

Hi irregular,

I'm sorry the artificial photosynthesis won't work out, but I hope you'll still be able to find a project that interests you. Some questions you could ponder:

What interested you about artificial photosynthesis? Is there some small piece of that problem you could tackle in a less technologically-advanced project?

You mentioned an interest in environmental science. What problems or questions do you see out in your environment? I imagine there are a lot of questions you could ask about pollution or how different species interact--questions you could do at a small scale with your home/school equipment, that would still have big implications.

Good luck!

Hi Irregular,

Welcome back to Science Buddies! It sounds like you are expanding your interest in energy related topics and the subject of artificial photosynthesis is a fascinating subject. Everyone else who has posted is right about the complexity of a project, but I'm sure there must be something you could do related to the topic.

Here is the program for last summer's conference on porphyrins and phthalocyanines. Why don't you read through the titles of the presented papers and do a literature search for more information on anything that sounds interesting to you? Your science fair project could be an investigation on one specific question related to the topic. Please note there were several papers presented on natural chlorophyll

http://www.icpp-spp.org/general/ICPP-6_program.pdf

Here are some science buddies project ideas on fuel cells and solar energy. Read through these for more ideas.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p020.shtml

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p002.shtml

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p011.shtml

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p004.shtml

I’m sure there is a perfect project that you can do with the resources you have available. Please let us know what you are thinking about doing.

Donna Hardy

Hi Irregular,

Here are some abstracts related to your topic, with information on the design of the photochemical cells. It sounds like you would need some titanium, iridium, and platinum and other ingredients to make a photoanode and photocathode to generate current. Definitely challenging.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/ja809108y

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_o ... archtype=a

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp071906v

Let me know if you have any trouble accessing any of these links.

Donna Hardy

Hello,

Ms. Dance: The part I find most interesting about the artificial photosynthesis project is that I can take this one concept (photosynthesis) and transform it into something that will better the world. That was also why I chose last year's project, where the concept was anaerobic respiration and fuel cells.

Ms. Hardy: Thank you very much for the program for the conference you sent me! There are quite a few topics I'm interested in (e.g. electron transfer and biosynthesis of chlorophyll), although they all sound as if a lab will be needed to conduct the experiments.

Thank you very much also for sending me the abstracts! They sound extremely interesting too. They mention nanotubes and nanoparticles, so I was wondering if it would be do-able for me.

Today on the C&EN website, I saw that an article about Dr. Logan's MDCs was just published yesterday!
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i48/8848news3.html

Thank you!

Hi Irregular,

Thanks for your reply. I don’t know if you could do a project on nanotubes and nanoparticles. These projects would require lots of resources, but you should continue your background research to find something that you can do.

This first link includes a reference that describes using recycled tires to make nanotubes. The second one uses plastic bags for the application. This type of project would require an expensive catalyst.

http://www.all-science-fair-projects.co ... n_nanotube


http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/disco ... nanotubes/

Here’s a summary of a science fair project that used nanotubes for a medical application. I’m sure this project was done in a lab, but it is a good example of a useful application for these particles.

https://emtsef.utsa.edu/History/Listing ... 14SS10A7B7


Thanks for the link on the new Logan group desalination device. This would be a good project for you to develop as you could use your skills in constructing leak-free devices and growing anaerobic bacteria for this project.

Donna Hardy

Hi Donna,

I find the nanotechnology aspect very interesting, however my biggest concern is where I can obtain nanotechnology (particles, tubes, etc) and how to work with them. If I do use nanotechnology, I'd like to go in the environmental field.

I'd like to do something different this year, but will pursue the desalination idea if I must. If I pursue this idea, I'd like to take full advantage of my resources and use my knowledge on desalination (e.g. reverse osmosis).

I am also interesting in "cellulosic ethanol", however am not sure if it will be a do-able topic. What do you think?

http://science.howstuffworks.com/enviro ... thanol.htm

Thank you!

Hi Irregular,

The desalination project is probably more feasible for you to do. I have not been able to find a practical idea on nanotechnology that could be done outside of a laboratory at a reasonable cost. However please let me know if you have a microscope.

The cellulosic ethanol project is an excellent idea. However, I don’t know if you would be able to get approval to do a project on ethanol; please check with your teacher on this topic.

The desalination project is a good one. I think that your approach to doing science fair projects, which includes doing thorough background research and carefully designing an experiment could make this a winning project. The Logan design is a new development on this field so would be a good place to start. The Science Buddies website has a project on this topic also, which includes good background information.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p022.shtml

Since you are starting early, you will have more time to solve the construction problems that are inherent in this type of project. The practical application of a desalination project is readily apparent. You need to identify something that will make your project unique, for example an improvement in design or improvement in performance.

Why don’t you go ahead and continue your background reading on desalination so you can decide exactly what to do.

Here is a commercial company that you could contact for more information.

http://www.catpumps.com/pumps-desalinat ... awater.asp

Look at this site and let me know if you can understand it. It includes some background information and discussion of problems on developing desalination devices.

http://urila.tripod.com/Seawater.htm

Here is some general information.
‘http://www.reverseosmosisdesalination.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT4FcyZmmJ4
http://www.lenntech.com/processes/desal ... rocess.htm

Here are some problems involved in desalination:

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i41/8841news.html
This website lists a number of problems that you might want to work on:

http://www.oas.org/DSD/publications/Uni ... e/ch20.htm

Here is some fairly recent news on a new development in reverse osmosis technology,

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 135931.htm

Do you know if your local water company does any desalination? You can call and find out and ask for more information and someone who you could talk to. You might be able to find a local mentor for the project.

I’m sure you can find more sites. Please let me know what you find out.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

I am exceedingly grateful to you for taking the time to explore and give me those website links.

I checked my local science fair rules, and did not come across anything about ethanol or fuel. However I think that I will pursue the desalination project area. In grade 6, for my local science fair I had actually done the Science Buddies Solar-Power desalination project. I think that it would be great doing a project in this field again.

I will talk to my dad about this project and start my background research now, and find out if any local company does desalination and contact a company perhaps. I'll definitely look out for ways to make my project unique.

Thanks!

Hi Irregular,

I think you have made a good decision in the selection of your science fair project. I know you will learn a lot doing this project. Desalination is a well-established method, so I would recommend trying to identify a problem (power requirement, membrane fouling, etc) and design an experiment to solve the problem. Your background reading should help you decide what needs to be done next in this field and will help you become an expert in the subject.

Do let me know what you find.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

I have obtained quite a few scientific papers and have read them to complete my background research. My father and I contacted two MFC-related researchers, including Professor Logan, for some advice on membranes. We purchased an anion and cation membrane through an online website about a week ago, but they haven't arrived yet. The company gave us both free due to my father's occupation in his company. We also asked my father's friends who are also PhD-holding engineers for some advice and clarifications.

Right now I am not sure which bacteria to use, or where to obtain it from. I tried looking at some national bacterial collections, online science websites, nearby university websites, etc. Would you please help me determine those two out? I am looking at the following bacteria:

http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... urreducens
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... oneidensis
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... rireducens
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... m_septicum
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... erfringens
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php ... ermocellum


Thanks and regards!

Hi Irregular,

You have made some amazing progress since you last posted! Congratulations on finding the source of the membrane that you can use for your project. You will be ready to set up the experiment soon.

The bacteria you found references for are all organisms that can form biofilms and clog membranes. They can probably be purchased from ATCC, or you could growh naturally occurring bacteria. If you used pure cultures, you would need to sterilize your set-up and verify that the organism you selected was growing. This will be challenging since you don't have access to a microbiology laboratory.

Here is some background information on membrane fouling:

http://www.separationprocesses.com/Memb ... hpRO-7.htm

Please let me know what problem you are trying to solve. Are you trying to build a better desalination device, or are you working on a method to prevent membrane fouling? I can suggest a source of bacteria if you can let me know exactly what you want to do.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

The anion and cation membranes have still not arrived yet. My father and I contacted the ATCC, and they replied that they could supply us 0.4ml of Geobacter sulferreducens for $300, as well as the Clostridium species, however we would need to get it mailed to a local institution or college since it is pathogenic. This price for the given quantity is out of our price range and is not practical, especially since I will run at least 2-3 trials. I'm not sure if I should use wastewater, since it could contain pathogens and would have the disadvantage of not knowing which bacterial species it contains, and the disadvantage of possible methanogenesis.

For my initial experiment, in the anode I was interested in using paper (an original idea) as a substrate, since it consists of cellulose. Clostridium species are able to degrade cellulose into ethanol, hydrogen and acetate, byproducts which Geobacter could've fermented and then produced electricity. (http://www.microbialfuelcell.org/Public ... lulose.pdf)

I'm not sure what to do right now, since my experiment is impractical... I may even have to alter my experiment or change my idea. What advice and suggestions do you have for me?

Thanks!

Hi Irregular, Some thoughts on your concerns...

As far as quantity, you'll only need to order bacteria once. Think about how bacteria replicate--if you have just one bacterium, and the food to feed it, you can make billions! The simplest way is to start with a small culture and transfer it into a larger volume of Luria broth (standard liquid bacterial food), then grow it (ideally with a little bit of shaking to keep it mixed up) at 37 degrees C. You can have millions of bacteria by the end of the day.

I recommend as the first thing you do, you also store some of your original culture--that way if the bacteria you're working with get contaminated, you can always go back to the stored original. Science Buddies has a guide to storing cultures here: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ains.shtml

You should definitely not use wastewater. You can't know what kinds of bacteria are in there, and it could be something really dangerous. The other disadvantages you mention are also true!

You're much better off with a pure culture. Have you looked at Carolina Biologicals? http://www.carolina.com/nav/p/category/ ... estMatches I'm not sure if they have a kind of bacteria that will work for your experiment, but they're aimed at science teachers and might be more in your price range (and willing to ship to a home or school, I imagine).

Or perhaps someone at a local university or college has some and could give you a bit? You might try the instructors who teach microbiology lab class, they tend to have a stock of interesting bacteria in their freezers. Or a professor who researches those kinds of bacteria.

Good luck!

Amber

Hello Amber and Donna,

Thanks for your input and advice. I'll definitely check out the Carolina Biological Supply website. I'll also try to email or contact the local college and nearby university's microbiology department, and also check with my school's science storage teacher. My dad had also asked his work what kind of bacteria they keep, and they said that they will reply back shortly.

I came across this patent while looking for information about cellulose degration for cellulosic ethanol. I had an idea which combined microbial fuel cells and cellulosic ethanol as well, where the electricity produced would power the distillation (one of the final steps of the cellulosic ethanol process), but realized that not enough electricity would be produced. Shortly after, I found this patent! I don't quite understand the concept, one of the main reasons being because it is so wordy. Here it is: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2010/0203359.html

Thanks and regards!

Hi Irregular,

Amber has given you some good advice on finding a pure culture, so I would recommend following her suggestions. Here are some alternative ideas in case you can’t obtain a pure culture:

Do you remember the mud that you collected at the bottom of the lake last winter? This mud would contain Clostridium species and other anaerobic microorganisms like Geobacter that would have the ability to utilize organic molecules and reduce metals ions. Do you have any sites in your community that are contaminated with hydrocarbons and metals? Soil from a location like this would also be a good source of organisms that would work for your application.

Since you want to use paper as a substrate, you could start growing the bacteria now using all of the ingredients that you will have in your microbial cell. This will naturally select for the microorganisms that you need for your experiment. And you will hopefully have rapidly growing organisms by the time your ion exchange membranes arrive.

Your ion exchange membranes are overdue. I would definitely contact the company that was supposed to send them and check on your order. You need to get started on your project soon.

Donna Hardy

Hi Irregular,

The patent is interesting. It is written in the typical style of patents and uses a lot of words to cover the claims. The patent covers the removal of metabolic inhibitors from microbial fuel cells that use ethanol as a carbon source. This would be important if you wanted to use a microbial fuel cell continuously, but it doesn't seem to cover anything that would contribute to your project.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

I've decided that I'll have to drop the microbial fuel cell part of my project, and concentrate on the cellulose part. It will suit the amount of time I have and my resources, and will not involve pathogens.

I am planning on using yeast (instead of bacteria form termite gut, clostridium bacteria, or some fungi as they also have cellulase) to degrade paper into ethanol, and extract it using a fractional distillation apparatus. Here is some information on the topic:
http://www.eng.umd.edu/~nsw/ench485/lab4.htm
http://www.ucc.ie/academic/chem/dolchem ... hanol.html
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jitkangl ... thanol.htm
http://odec.ca/projects/2007/lees7s4/frame1.htm
http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/71/2/409.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosic_ethanol

I'm currently unsure what variables I should have and what should exactly be my topic question. What is your advice and what suggestions do you have?

Thanks and regards!

Hi Irregular,

It may be helpful to narrow the scope of your project so you can focus on the experiments, rather than trying to do too much. It sounds like you will be fermenting a cellulose source to product ethanol. Is that right? Or did you have another idea?

For this type of experiment, you can choose difference sources of cellulose, and you can use acid or enzyme hydrolysis to break down the cellulose to sugars that will be fermented into fuel. You also have a choice or microorganisms to do the fermentation. So there are lots of choices for independent variables.

Let’s do a little more reading and try to identify a problem that you can solve. For this project, you will need a way to measure ethanol. Do you have any ideas how you will do this?

Do you have any ethanol plants close to you? I know there are several in Canada.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

Yes, that was basically my idea. I will be using microorganisms to do the fermentation, and paper as my cellulose source. Two microorganisms I wished to choose from were both commonly used - bacteria Saccharophagus degradans and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. There were two other yeasts, Hansenula nonfermentans and Candida buffonii, but I learned that Saccharomyces cerevisiae is also baker's yeast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_cerevisiae), and since it is so easy to get I am planning to use that. Since baker's yeast comes in powder form, I will not need a petri dish, right?

To measure ethanol, I think that I can use a hydrometer/alcoholmeter. I found an article which I think will help me with measurement (http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question532.htm). For the measurement of concentration of ethanol I know that gas chromatography is needed, however I will probably not be able to do that. Further on in my project I guess I could possible contact the nearby university to ask if they have a machine I could use.

Yes, there are a few ethanol plants nearby.

I asked my school if they have equipment for fractional distillation (which can be costly). They will be getting back to me after a meeting tomorrow. I will probably ask my dad's plant if they have a hydrometer we could use.

Something else I have to focus on is my design for the fermentation device. I do not want to have a single chamber product like a single bottle since the yeast, biomass remains, ethanol, and water will all be mixed up. I would like to have two chambers, and separate them using filters (possible aluminum wire mesh from last year's project, tubes, or filter paper. I need a design so that yeast do not escape into the second chamber. Or do you suggest that I just use a single chamber, e.g. bottle etc?

I am still not sure what to use as a variable. I'm hoping that I can think of a good idea so that my project really comes out as original and innovative. I'm hoping I can start my experiment soon, before February.

Thanks!

Hi Irregular,

Good, you are thinking about the details of your experiment. You can purchase packages of Baker's yeast and add it to your sample, so you won’t need to culture the yeast. I would recommend buying enough of one lot of the yeast to do your entire experiment if this will be a controlled parameter.

The hydrometer would be good to measure the ethanol. It would be nice to have a quantitative method, but you could get by with the hydrometer if necessary.

If you have a two-chamber reactor, the membrane would have to be permeable to sugars and alcohols What are you going to use for a membrane? What materials are you going to use to build the two chamber container?

One important detail. Saccharomyces is very efficient in utilizing sugars to form ethanol, but cellulose is a polymer of glucose. How are you going to break the cellulose down to the individual sugar molecules that the yeast can use? Maybe the method of preparing the cellulose can be your independent variable.

Since you have ethanol plants nearby, do telephone and try to get an interview with someone in production or in the QC lab. Or, ask your parents if they know anyone who works at an ethanol plant for leads on contacts to interview. For this project, it would be very helpful to talk to people who are involved in this industry. Prepare some questions so you can get the information that you need. Perhaps you could learn about a problem that needs to be solved. Maybe you could ask for a donation for supplies for your project.

I will look for more information for you.

Donna Hardy

Hello Donna,

I have found two links which are currently helping me:
http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/cheu7j2/materials.html
http://stl.bee.oregonstate.edu/courses/ ... ng2002.pdf

In the first, I saw that the student used glucose test strips and coolant test strips. What exactly are these?
I so noticed that he didn't distill the ethanol-water mixture or dehydrate it.

In the second, I am interested in alkaline hydrolysis and organosolv process. I would like to see if there is any link I can make with the alkaline in batteries to the alkaline hydrolysis (recycling batteries?), and seeing if I can breakdown paper in some way to break bonds/pretreatment/hydrolysis (e.g. wetting paper in water or some chemical etc).

I have found a procedure to construct an incubator/water bath, and will use it since I couldn't seem to get one at school or my dad's work.

Here is my current materials list:

• Cellulose Source – Paper
• Cellulose to Sugars – Enzymes OR sulfuric/muriatic acid OR ______
• Sugars to Ethanol - Yeast
• Temperature Control Water bath/Incubator –
TYPE 1
Aquarium heater, thermometer, Styrofoam cooler, plastic ties

TYPE 2
Styrofoam box, Plexiglass, Nightlight with 7-watt bulb, 6 foot extension cord, silicone adhesive, digilital thermometer with in/out reading

• Fermentation apparatus – jars/ heavy dutywater bottless, aluminum wire mesh
• Distillation Apparatus – hot plate, distilling flask (round bottom flask), fractionating column (Vigreux column), thermometer, condenser (Liebig condenser, Graham condenser, or Allihn condenser), receiving flask (Erlenmeyer flask)
• Hydrometer/Alcoholmeter/Vinometer
• Test strips for glucose content
• “Cooltrak” coolant test strips

I want to run my "base case" experiment first, then in the soon future I will start my experiment with the variables.


Thanks!

Hi Irregular,

You are making great progress! I’m glad you are building an incubator because the fermentation will go so much faster at an optimum temperature, and the 17 degrees C of your furnace room barely worked for the microbial fuel cell, and is a little below optimum for yeast growth.

Glucose test strips are used by diabetics to measure glucose levels in urine; this would be perfect to monitor the decrease in the glucose levels in your samples to make sure the yeast are using their food supply. I think you can buy these test strips in a drug store. The strips will also be useful to measure how much glucose is produced from your hydrolysis method.

I am not familiar with the chemistry of the coolant test strips, but from the description, it sounds like they will measure hydroxyl groups. Automotive coolant is composed of ethylene glycol and has a structure similar to ethanol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_glycol

Please write to the supplier and ask about how these strips work because you will need this information for your background information. Find out if they are quantitative. If you use these, I don’t think you will need the distillation equipment and it will save a lot of time in analysis. I will read up on alkaline hydrolysis and the organosolv process and hopefully be able to be able to offer some additional suggestions tomorrow.

I am going to upload a paper that reviews the problems involved in the hydrolysis of cellulose. This is an important problem to work on. The idea of using alkaline hydrolysis is a good one.

Donna Hardy

Hi Donna,

I have obtained almost all of my materials, hopefully we'll have them all on Monday after my dad returns with them from work.

My dad and I have been asking some questions to his coworker chemist at work, and he explained that these strips aren't quantative. The students simply measured if ethanol was being produced by colour change.

I'm almost finished writing the procedure for my base case experiment. I hope to start it up around Tuesday-Wednesday.

The main task I must complete is finalizing my variables and developing my hypothesis so they can be ready after I finish my base case experiment. My variable will probably end up being the hydrolysis procedure. I found a paper on the organosolv process (http://www.aidic.it/pres09/webpapers/97Garcia.pdf). What is your advice, and what suggestions/information do you have?

This is how I understand the cellulosic ethanol process: Lignocellulosic biomass consists of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. Hemicellulose if hydrolyzed into 5-6 carbon sugars (e.g. xylose), then those sugars are fermented by bacteria, as yeast cannot ferment them. Cellulose is broken down into glucose by enzymes, and then fermented by yeast into ethanol. I've read student's projects' where they don't use bacteria (fermentation of 5-6 carbon sugars) or enzymes(for cellulose hydrolysis). I can understand that the 5-6 carbon sugars are left unfermented, but In that case, how did they end up producing glucose from cellulose without enzymesl?

Thanks!

EDIT: Also, something else I need to figure out right now is my proportions for all my substances and liquids.