Biomass Supply Logistics and Infrastructure -- Selecting, Establishing, and Managing Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) for Biofuels -- Agronomic Experiences with Miscanthus x giganteus in Illinois, USA -- Genetic Transformation of Switchgrass -- Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreatment Using AFEX -- Pretreatment of Biomass by Aqueous Ammonia for Bioethanol Production -- Liquid Hot Water Pretreatment of Cellulosic Biomass -- Dilute Acid and Autohydrolysis Pretreatment -- Lime Pretreatment -- Analytical Characterization of Fermentation Inhibitors in Biomass Pretreatment Samples Using Liquid Chromatography, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, and Tandem Mass Spectrometry -- Biomass Compositional Analysis for Energy Applications -- High-Throughput Screening of Plant Cell-Wall Composition Using Pyrolysis Molecular Beam Mass Spectroscopy -- Preparation and Analysis of Biomass Lignins -- Cellulase Assays -- Assessing Cellulase Performance on Pretreated Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Saccharification and Fermentation-Based Protocols -- Basic Laboratory Culture Methods for Anaerobic Bacteria -- Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation and Partial Saccharification and Co-Fermentation of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Ethanol Production -- Biodiesel: Small Scale Production and Quality Requirements.

With the dwindling supplies of fossil fuels and growing concerns regarding climate changes due to green house gasses from these fuels, public opinion has swung dramatically towards favoring the development of renewable energy sources. In Biofuels: Methods and Protocols, career-long experts explore a full range of methods for bioenergy covering important topics such as biomass production and delivery to the biorefinery, detailed biochemical characterization, as well as biotechnological techniques for converting plant matter into fuels and chemicals. Time is of the essence in this field, and this volume aims to provide direction and assistance to the growing cadre of researchers endeavoring to develop new sources of bioenergy with a solid, easy-to-use collection of tried-and-true methods which will save time and effort in the field and the laboratory. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary equipment, materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible field and laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding common pitfalls. Timely and authoritative, Biofuels: Methods and Protocols seeks to help scientists and engineers as they develop and optimize bioenergy technologies needed to drastically change the course of our energy future as soon as possible.