Cette étude fait le point sur les nouveautés actuelles en matière de fabrication industrielle de l'éthanol au niveau de la technologie de fermentation, du choix des souches et des techniques de séparation. L'optimisation économique de la fabrication de l'éthanol se fera dans l'avenir par des progrès relatifs à la tolérance des souches de levures vis-à-vis de l'éthanol et par l'amélioration des techniques de séparation (usage de technologies autres que la distillation). This article is a state-of-the art review of the industrial manufacturing of ethanol. It describes fermentation technology, the choice of strains and separation techniques. The economic optimization of ethanol manufacturing in the future will come from progress concerning the tolerance of yeast strains to ethanol and by improvements in separation techniques (use of technologies other than distillation).

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was found to be a valuable tool to follow multi-step organic liquid-phase syntheses. Such an analytical method is not limited to the monitoring of peptide synthesis but could be extended to any supported organic structures, in particular in the field of combinatorial chemistry.

A technical description of a large-scale biotechnology facilities in Soustons, France, is presented. The equipment, designed for operational flexibility, includes the basic units for implementing individual steps of lignocellulosic biomass conversion: steam explosion pretreatment, cellulase production, enzymatic hydrolysis, aerobic and anaerobic fermentation. The results include both the large-scale experimentation of a wood (poplar)-to-ethanol process and the economics of a simulated industrial production.

A technical description of the large scale biotechnology facilities for biomass conversion at Soustons (Landes, France) is presented. The equipments, designed for versatility and operational flexibility, include the basic units for implementing the individual steps of lignocellulosic biomass enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation: steam explosion pretreatment, aerobic fermentation for cellulase production, enzymatic hydrolysis, anaerobic fermentation. The main results of the large scale development of a process for production of acetone-butanol from lignocellulosic agricultural residues are presented as well as other experimentations in the field of biomass valorization. In this area the present programme is directed to conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol but the activity of the facilities also includes development work and experimental productions in a wide range of industrial fermentations.

Cette etude fait le point sur les nouveautes actuelles en matiere de fabrication industrielle de l'ethanol au niveau de la technologie de fermentation, du choix des souches et des techniques de separation. L'optimisation economique de la fabrication de l'ethanol se fera dans l'avenir par des progres relatifs a la tolerance des souches de levures vis-a-vis de l'ethanol et par l'amelioration des techniques de separation (usage de technologies autres que la distillation).

Cette etude fait le point sur les nouveautes actuelles en matiere de fabrication industrielle de l'ethanol au niveau de la technologie de fermentation, du choix des souches et des techniques de separation. L'optimisation economique de la fabrication de l'ethanol se fera dans l'avenir par des progres relatifs a la tolerance des souches de levures vis-a-vis de l'ethanol et par l'amelioration des techniques de separation (usage de technologies autres que la distillation).