More on Cellulosic Ethanol

While this is a small start, the idea is quite sound:

ALCOHOL FUEL:
Celunol, based in Cambridge, MA, tests its cellulosic-ethanol process in this
pilot-scale plant, which converts biomass such as switchgrass into ethanol.
Biomass is stored and handled in the building to the right. From there it’s fed
into the four black tanks in the center, which contain enzymes for breaking down
cellulose and other complex carbohydrates to form simple sugars that can be
fermented in the “beer” tank below. There, the liquid produced has the same
alcohol concentration as beer. Next, the beer is distilled in the tall column
left of center before being stored in ethanol tanks at left. Celunol started
construction on a much larger cellulosic-ethanol plant this month.
Credit:
Courtesy of Celunol Corp.

article here:http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=18227&ch=energy

also, from NPR's "Living on Earth", a story about termite enzymes and the role they might play:http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=07-P13-00008&segmentID=2