title: Energy-efficient biomass processing with pulsed electric fields for bioeconomy and sustainable development.
abstract: Fossil resources-free sustainable development can be achieved through a transition to bioeconomy, an economy based on sustainable biomass-derived food, feed, chemicals, materials, and fuels. However, the transition to bioeconomy requires development of new energy-efficient technologies and processes to manipulate biomass feed stocks and their conversion into useful products, a collective term for which is biorefinery. One of the technological platforms that will enable various pathways of biomass conversion is based on pulsed electric fields applications (PEF). Energy efficiency of PEF treatment is achieved by specific increase of cell membrane permeability, a phenomenon known as membrane electroporation. Here, we review the opportunities that PEF and electroporation provide for the development of sustainable biorefineries. We describe the use of PEF treatment in biomass engineering, drying, deconstruction, extraction of phytochemicals, improvement of fermentations, and biogas production. These applications show the potential of PEF and consequent membrane electroporation to enable the bioeconomy and sustainable development.
authors.affiliation: Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golberg
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.affiliation: CNRS, Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teissie
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pataro
authors.affiliation: Institut für Bioprozeβ- und Analysenmeβtechnik e.V., Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pliquett
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Gintautas
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saulis
authors.affiliation: German Institute of Food Technologies, Quakenbrück, Germany.
authors.forename: Töpfl
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stefan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Damijan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miklavcic
authors.affiliation: Departement de Genie Chimique, Centre de Recherche de Royallieu, Universite de Technologie de Compiegne, Compiegne, France.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vorobiev
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Frey
keywords: Bioeconomy; Biorefinery; Electrobiorefinery; Electroporation; Pulsed electric fields; Sustainable development