Biofuels: What Affects the Rate of Reaction?
Every one of us relies on fossil fuels in some way, shape, or form. But what happens when this non-renewable resource runs out? One viable alternative fuel source that could be used are biofuels, created from living material that we typically discard. With this project, I wanted to introduce my students to Biofuels in a way that would allow them to determine how they could best use biotechnology to help produce the precursor materials for biofuels more efficiently. Students would first be able to determine the rate of reaction for cellobiose, an enzyme that breaks down cellulosic material into glucose usable for ethanol fermentation. Next, the students would choose from five different variables to alter the rate of reaction and determine how exactly their perturbation would affect it. This would employ and understanding of protein structure, chemistry, algebra, and enzyme kinetics.
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This project was completed using the BioRad Biofuels Kit (Link to Kit and Link to Manual).
Project Launch
We began our project at the end of the 6 weeks, so to get the students thinking about biofuels, we watched a documentary called Pump (2014). This launch activity was followed by a reflection, where the students were able to talk about what they observed, and how biotechnology could help increase the efficiency in the production of biofuels. Some student samples can be seen below showcasing their ability to think about how the techniques they have learned could assist in the production of alternative fuels.
Student 1 Reflection
