Would you like one or two wood chips in your coffee? How
about a few cottonseed hulls to sweeten your cereal?
Sound ridiculous? A University of Georgia researcher says a
large,
untapped supply of a natural, high-valued sweetener lies hidden
within Georgia's agriculture and timber industries. You just have
to know how to get to it.
Sweeter Value
Jim Kastner, a biological and agricultural engineer with the UGA
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, is working
on a fermentation process to extract an alternative sweetener
from common Georgia by-products.
The sweetener, xylitol, is a highly valued product that's growing
in demand worldwide, Kastner said. It's used in chewing gums,
pharmaceutical and dental hygiene products.
Using xylitol has many advantages, he said. And it's just as
sweet
as regular table sugar. "Not only is it sweet, but it
generates
a pleasant, cooling sensation in the mouth," he said.
Xylitol is better for you than regular sugar.
It doesn't cause cavities and actually fights the bacteria that
causes cavities.
It's safer for people with diabetes, too, because it doesn't
cause
an insulin response. It's also known to inhibit the growth of
other bacteria, including the one that's the most common cause
of ear infections in children.
Getting to the Value
"With the research, the overall goal is to develop
specialty,
value-added commodities from renewable carbon sources in the
state,"
Kastner said. "Xylitol is one of these products."
Because Georgia has a large agriculture and timber industry, the
state has a large supply of renewable carbon sources, such as
cottonseed and soybean hulls and waste from the pulp and paper
industry, he said.
For example, wastewater from the pulp and paper industry contains
many fermentable carbon sources. One is called xylose.
Kastner's fermentation process uses microorganisms to feed on
the xylose. As the microorganisms feed, they convert the xylose
into xylitol.
"We're in the process of designing a new strain of
microorganism
to use in the process to give us higher yields," he
said.
Kastner is now taking the research from the laboratory and
placing
it into real-life industry situations. He's working closely with
a specialty pulp and paper company in Georgia to see how well
his process will work at the plant.
The research has the potential to produce a range of products
other than xylitol. One such product is Ribose, which is used
to synthesize anti-cancer drugs.
"If we develop the technology to apply this to industry in
Georgia," Kastner said, "the infrastructure will be
established to further develop these other compounds."
Published on 04/04/01
One Wood Chip or Two? New 'Sugar' Source
Brad Haire is the former news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Experts/Sources:
CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs
04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation
04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies
04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms
04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame
04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.
CAES News
Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023
04/10/24 Emily Cabrera
Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.