Patent ID: 8334121

Claim:
A method of converting cellulosic biomass to ethanol or butanol, comprising: a) culturing a microorganism on a growth media comprising a substrate and two or more substantially continuous synthetic, electroprocessed fine fiber network layered to form a multi-lamellar matrix wherein ethanol or butanol is a metabolic product of fermentation by the microorganism, each fiber layer comprising a thickness of about 25 nm to about 2000 nm, a solidity of 70% or less, fibers comprising a non-cytotoxic polymer, and fiber diameter of about 10 nm to about 1000 nm, wherein one or more of the fiber layer include fibers comprising cellulose or a particulate comprising cellulose dispersed within the fiber layer; and b) contacting the cultured growth media under conditions that promote microbial fermentation with cellulosic biomass or with pentose or hexose sugars obtained from conversion of the cellulosic biomass to pentose or hexose sugars.