YSI in the UK has been providing biochemistry platforms for ethanol, xylose and glucose analysis to UK biofuel research and production companies.
YSI (UK) has also recently registered with UK-based Low Carbon Economy.
The Low Carbon Economy was created to help build the low-carbon economy by connecting people and businesses with low-carbon information, solutions and opportunities.
YSI scientists have been researching into cellulosic ethanol production - using the wasted part of the crop only.
Pretreated cellulosic materials release a number of fermentable sugars - xylose and glucose typically make up the majority of these sugars.
Unlike corn grain bioethanol production that involves the conversion of starch to ethanol, cellulosic biomass such as agricultural residues, have the potential to be more economical in producing fuel-grade ethanol, leaving the main crop for food production.
The YSI xylose membrane was introduced in 2008, for use on the YSI 2700 and 7100 platforms.
Configured with glucose on the opposite electrode, users were able to take advantage of a rapid one-minute simultaneous measurement of xylose and glucose.
The US NREL found this compared favourably with the HPLC method, where results were taking 40 minutes or more for each sample.
Then, in 2010, YSI further developed and improved the xylose membrane, which now gives a greater measurement range 0-50 g/l, improved low-level detection and precision of less than two per cent with improved linearity now +10 per cent or +0.5 g/l.
There is now minimal or no sample preparation and no need to dilute the sample.
YSI's most recent membrane released in January 2011 is the Extended Range Ethanol (ERE), which allows the user to analyse higher ethanol concentrations (up to 40 g/l) quickly and without dilution.
