A study conducted by the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, has discovered ways to convert distillers corn oil (DCO) into renewable fuels such as biojet fuel and green diesel. The research, published in Nature Communications, details the structure and function of a natural enzyme capable of generating hydrocarbons similar to those obtained in petroleum refineries.

The enzyme identified by CNPEM's National Laboratory of Biorenewables (LNBR) has a key advantage in making DCO a prominent player in the advanced fuel industry, including green diesel and biojet fuel: it is highly efficient and withstands high temperatures, enabling its direct application to this byproduct of corn ethanol production, which is currently underutilized.

The enzyme can process DCO, a raw material with high acidity and a high content of free fatty acids. It decarboxylates DCO by removing oxygen from fatty acids, transforming them into molecules very similar to those obtained in petroleum refining. Beyond fuel, the resulting compounds can be used in the production of plastics, cosmetics, and other industrial products.

In Brazil, 145,700 tons of DCO were produced by the corn ethanol industry in 2023, which could be used for fuel production. Globally, DCO production is estimated at 4.3 million tons per year. CNPEM is a pioneer in studying how to utilize this raw material for sustainable hydrocarbon production using enzymes. While industrial application still requires further steps, this discovery marks a significant step toward licensing the technology.

"The biggest challenge was finding an enzyme that could work directly with raw and diverse materials such as industrial byproducts and co-products. Not only did we identify this enzyme, but we also fully elucidated its mode of action and understood the characteristics that make it extremely efficient for processing DCO," explains Letícia Zanphorlin, a CNPEM researcher who led the study.

To obtain these insights, researchers crystallized the enzyme to reveal its atomic structure through protein crystallography, performed using the Manacá beamline at Sirius, CNPEM's fourth-generation particle accelerator—one of only three in operation worldwide and the largest scientific facility in Brazil.

Beyond its scientific impact, this discovery has real-world implications for sustainable development. In Brazil, corn ethanol is a growing industry, especially in the Midwest, where corn is planted between soybean harvests without requiring additional agricultural land. The oil generated in corn ethanol production, which currently has limited commercial use, can now be converted into fuel for long-distance transportation, increasing economic returns within the production chain and contributing to sector circularity.

"CNPEM has been investing in solutions that prioritize sustainability in a broad sense, going beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions to include responsible resource use and ecosystem balance maintenance," emphasizes Eduardo Couto, director of LNBR.

"This technology adds value to the corn supply chain and strengthens sustainability. This chain produces ethanol, DDGS (Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles), and DCO. DDGS is already used as animal feed, and now the residual oil can be directed toward an essential application: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)," explains Letícia. She also highlights the potential of other raw materials, such as babassu and macaúba, which are on the radar for future studies.

Bridging Science and Industry

The project exemplifies how scientific innovation can drive sustainability and competitiveness in Brazilian industry. Funded by Sinochen, incorporated by PRIO—Brazil's largest independent oil and gas company—and supported by Embrapii (Brazilian Company for Industrial Research and Innovation), the study received approximately R$10 million in investments for Research, Development, and Innovation. "The corn ethanol industry is rapidly expanding in Brazil, and this technology creates a unique opportunity to turn byproducts into high-value items," adds the researcher. The next step is to scale up the process and explore new market applications.

About CNPEM

CNPEM is a frontier, multi-user, and multidisciplinary scientific environment engaged in various initiatives within the National Science, Technology, and Innovation System. As a Social Organization supervised by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM conducts research impacting health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. Responsible for Sirius, Brazil's largest scientific facility, CNPEM is also developing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. CNPEM operates the National Laboratories of Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), and Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as Ilum School of Science, a bachelor's program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).