Enzymatic Digestion of Polysaccharides Part I: Monitoring Polymer Digestion and Glucose Production in Microplates

The production of ethanol for use as a biofuel from grains or cellulosic material requires the hydrolysis of carbohydrate polymers such as cellulose, xylan and starch to monomeric sugars that are fermentable by cellular organisms such as bacteria and yeast. Here we describe fluorescence detection analysis in microplates of some of the enzymes that catalyze the digestive hydrolysis of polysaccharide polymers into monomeric constituents.