Fermentation Challenge: Making Ethanol from Cellulose

This high school or beginning undergraduate level lab demonstration and inquiry activity will introduce students to the process of fermenting cellulosic biomass into cellulosic ethanol, along with the challenges researchers face in this area. The demonstration uses a Vernier probe or balloons to measure fermentation rates of different feedstocks to begin the discussion of why some carbohydrates are easily fermented by yeast while others are not. Students can design and carry out their own labs to try to improve fermentation rates of various feedstocks. The downloadable package of materials includes 1) Teacher Instructions and Answer Key 2) Student Activities and Worksheets 3) Supplementary Materials