Kiryu picked up the second report.
Instead of rushing to explain the data, he asked Satsuki another question first.
"Miss Saionji, do you know how Yamada handled the leftover substances after the saccharification test?"
"Leftover substances?"
Satsuki thought for a moment.
"Treated as experimental waste?"
"That is right!"
Kiryu nodded immediately.
"Because his research goal was ethanol."
"In his experiments, the sugars in the plants were useful, while everything else that could not be directly fermented naturally became residues that needed to be disposed of."
Yamada felt a bit embarrassed.
After all, what he said was completely correct.
He truly had not seriously considered the uses of those things before.
However, the next words spoken by Kiryu left him stunned.
"But for us, those substances are by no means worthless waste!"
Kiryu picked up his pen again and wrote down three words on the paper.
Cellulose.
Hemicellulose.
Lignin.
"Miss Saionji, the uses of plants go far beyond just making alcohol."
"Cellulose can be used to make sugar, and can also be processed to produce cellulosic materials."
"Xylose in hemicellulose can be used to manufacture chemical raw materials such as furfural."
"As for lignin..."
Speaking of this, the eyes of Kiryu brightened noticeably.
"It is a naturally occurring aromatic polymer!"
"Many important raw materials in petrochemicals are inseparable from aromatic compounds."
"Resins, adhesives, various chemical intermediates... If we can separate and further process lignin at a low enough cost, we will have the opportunity to obtain a portion of the things from plants that previously relied mainly on the petrochemical system!"
Hearing this, Satsuki finally developed a much stronger interest.
"Wait."
She reached out her hand.
"You mean that besides making fuel, this plant can also be used to produce chemical raw materials?"
"Of course!"
Kiryu nodded immediately.
"However, the truly difficult part is not proving that lignin can be utilized."
"People have been studying this for a long time."
"The problem is that traditional lignin has a complex structure, high separation and processing costs, and the resulting products are often not easy to control."
He pushed another analysis result in front of Satsuki.
"As for SF-01..."
"In our preliminary separation tests, a portion of its lignin components could actually be released under relatively mild conditions."
"And signals of specific phenolic substances worthy of further analysis appeared among them!"
"What does this mean?"
Almost without waiting for Satsuki to answer, Kiryu eagerly continued to explain.
"It means we may be able to separate a portion of the lignin in a form more suitable for subsequent processing without resorting to such drastic treatment methods!"
"At the same time, more cellulose available for saccharification can be retained!"
Hearing this, the old man could finally no longer sit still.
He stood up, took the report to the coffee table, and reached out to draw a line on one of the charts.
"Look!"
"From the same batch of plant raw materials, we first separate the components with industrial utilization value, and then convert the remaining carbohydrates into sugar."
"The sugar can continue to be fermented to produce ethanol, or used in other bioconversion processes."
"Lignin and hemicellulose can enter different chemical production routes respectively!"
"Of course, we still need to verify the actual yield, purity, and processing cost of each component."
"But as long as we can establish this set of processes..."
Kiryu suddenly raised his head.
"Miss Saionji, do you know what this means?"
Satsuki glanced at him.
Then she slowly spoke.
"It means... by planting a hectare of grass, the things we can sell will not just be ethanol?"
"That is right!"
Kiryu was almost excited enough to clap his hands.
"Exactly!"
"When Yamada calculated the costs previously, he only considered the ethanol yield."
"If each ton of raw material can also provide other commercially valuable products at the same time, then the economics of the entire factory must be recalculated!"
"Some biofuel routes that were previously unprofitable may thus gain new opportunities!"
This time, Satsuki was truly interested.
She was already beginning to understand why the professor was so excited.
Because this meant that the value of SF-01 was not necessarily limited to replacing gasoline.
If subsequent research goes smoothly, it could even enter parts of the chemical raw material and material industries.
And for Saionji now, such industrial connections were simply too interesting.
The group already possessed various industries such as agriculture, food processing, logistics and transportation, and precision manufacturing.
If a complete biochemical system were established in the future...
The industrial synergy that could be formed among them was obviously far more complex than simply opening a few ethanol plants.
However, Kiryu clearly had not finished speaking.
"Furthermore, in terms of fuel, we do not necessarily have to choose ethanol!"
"Oh?"
Satsuki looked at him again.
"Are there other choices?"
"Of course there are!"
Kiryu picked up his pen and wrote another word on the paper.
Butanol.
"Miss Saionji, one of the biggest drawbacks of ethanol is that the energy it can provide per unit volume is much lower than gasoline."
"But butanol is different."
"Its energy density is significantly higher than that of ethanol, and it also has some research-worthy advantages when mixed and used with traditional gasoline."
"And producing butanol by microbial fermentation is not a completely new technology in itself."
"Decades ago, there was already mature industrial research."
Satsuki nodded.
"So you think SF-01 can also be used to produce butanol?"
"It is completely worth a try!"
Kiryu answered very decisively.
"Yamada used ordinary brewing yeast in the past, so naturally he mainly obtained ethanol."
"But what SF-01 truly provides us with is a large amount of relatively easily obtainable fermentable sugars."
"What these sugars are ultimately used to make should be determined by subsequent industrial routes, rather than being restricted from the very beginning!"
He paused slightly.
"Of course, butanol fermentation still has problems in terms of yield, product inhibition, and separation costs."
"Higher energy per unit volume does not necessarily mean that each ton of plant can produce more useful energy."
"However, if we can significantly reduce the cost of raw sugar, technologies that lacked commercial competitiveness in the past become worth reinvestigating!"
"Even further down the line, we can consider using microorganisms to produce fats and oils, and then obtain products better suited to existing fuel systems through chemical processing."
"However, those belong to longer-term directions, and there is not enough engineering data yet."
Kiryu finally stopped, picked up his teacup, and took a large gulp.
Then he added a sentence, still feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
"In short, Miss Saionji, we cannot just fixate on ethanol now!"
Looking at the paper on the table filled with various chemical names, Satsuki slowly nodded.
She had originally thought that today was just about deciding whether to invest in cellulosic ethanol research.
As a result, listening up to now, it had unexpectedly evolved into a comprehensive utilization issue involving fuel, chemical raw materials, and biomaterials.
This grass...
Indeed seemed even more valuable than she had imagined.
However, Satsuki immediately thought of another question.
"Professor Kiryu."
"Yes!"
"Of the uses you just mentioned, how many have actually been verified?"
Hearing this, Kiryu finally calmed down a little.
"What can be confirmed at present is that SF-01 indeed exhibits unusual sugar release performance, and special cell wall connection characteristics were discovered in preliminary analysis."
"As for the high-value utilization of lignin, we have already obtained some separation products worthy of further analysis, but we still have a long way to go before establishing a complete industrial process."
"Butanol and other fuel routes also require renewed microbial fermentation and engineering evaluations."
Speaking up to this point, his tone instead became much more serious.
"I cannot guarantee to you that they will ultimately be commercialized."
"Scientific research is not done that way."
"However..."
The old man lowered his head and glanced at the report in his hand.
"At the very least, we already possess a material well worth continued research."
"And this is not even the most important discovery."
Satsuki was slightly taken aback.
"...There is more?"
"There is!"
Kiryu raised his head.
This time, he did not even immediately open the new report.
"Miss Saionji, what I just said was still considering how to utilize SF-01."
"However, after the technical committee re-analyzed this plant, I began to think about another question."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why is it that only it can possess this special cell wall?"
Kiryu slowly walked over to that potted plant.
"It is merely a naturally formed hybrid plant."
"It has not undergone long-term artificial breeding, nor has it received any specialized genetic improvement."
"Yamada even accidentally dug it up on a riverbank."
He reached out and gently touched one of the leaves.
"So, what on earth caused it to form this abnormal structure?"
Satsuki thought for a moment.
"Genetic factors?"
"Very likely!"
Kiryu nodded immediately.
"We suspect that during the biosynthesis of lignin and other cell wall components, SF-01 has some sort of special regulatory mechanism."
"Perhaps the activity of related enzymes has changed, or the expression levels of certain synthesis pathways are different."
"Of course, it could also involve multiple factors working together."
"Right now, we still don't know the specific reason."
Saying this, he suddenly turned around.
"However, Miss Saionji!"
"What if one day, we are able to find that reason?"
Satsuki looked at him.
"After finding it?"
"Then, we can try to let other plants possess similar properties!"
Kiryu's voice raised noticeably.
"Just think about it!"
"Sorghum, sugarcane, silvergrass, and other plants capable of accumulating massive amounts of biomass!"
"If we can master the formation mechanism of SF-01's special cell wall, and then introduce this trait into other plants through traditional breeding, cell engineering, or even more mature plant genetic technology in the future..."
The more he spoke, the faster he went.
Even his breathing became somewhat hurried.
"We will have the opportunity to cultivate a batch of energy crops specifically suited for industrial processing!"
"Some suitable for cold regions, some for the tropics, and others that can be planted in areas with lower precipitation!"
"They don't all need to come from SF-01, nor do they need to have identical growth characteristics!"
"As long as they can retain this easily processable cell wall property..."
Kiryu suddenly stopped.
He gazed at the flowerpot on the table, a nearly uncontainable excitement in his eyes.
"We even have the opportunity to redesign the cell walls of industrial energy crops!"
The reception room fell silent.
Yamada was completely dumbfounded.
Of course, he had previously thought about improving SF-01's yield, lodging resistance, and overwintering ability through breeding.
But he had never truly considered that the special structure he discovered could also be used to improve other plants.
After all, that was far beyond his professional capabilities.
Even Kiryu before him could only propose such a research direction without any guarantee of immediate realization.
But this did not prevent him from understanding its significance.
If it could really be done...
Then in the future, what Saionji needed would probably no longer be just SF-01 as an energy crop.
Satsuki did not speak immediately either.
She looked down at the ordinary green plant, but more distant things were already beginning to emerge in her mind.
Energy crops.
Low-cost saccharification.
Biofuels.
Biochemicals.
And...
If this technology could truly be promoted to crops in different countries and under different climatic conditions, what would happen in the future?
That would no longer just be a matter for a single fuel enterprise.
However, thinking of this, Satsuki quickly calmed down again.
After all, these were still only research hypotheses.
Even whether SF-01 itself could be stably and largely cultivated in Hokkaido hadn't been resolved yet.
Moreover, making other plants possess similar traits would likely involve even higher technical difficulties.
"Professor Kiryu."
"Yes!"
"The direction you just mentioned shouldn't have any practical results at present, right?"
"None!"
Kiryu answered very bluntly.
"We haven't even found the key enzymes and genetic factors truly responsible for this trait!"
"SF-01 itself is a triploid, and conventional sexual breeding faces many difficulties."
"Moreover, even if the relevant mechanism is found, it doesn't mean it can be directly copied to other plants."
He paused.
Afterwards, his tone became excited again.
"But precisely because of that, it is worth researching!"
"Miss Saionji, do you know?"
"I have studied plant cell walls for over thirty years."
"In the past, we have always studied how to destroy the already formed structures of plants to make cellulose easier to utilize."
"Yet now, there is actually a natural plant that lets us see another possibility!"
"Perhaps in the future, we can begin changing the way its cell wall forms from the time the plant grows!"
By the end, Kiryu had completely forgotten that he was making a formal report to the highest authority of a world-class financial conglomerate.
He even picked up a pen and drew a structural diagram of the cell wall on a blank sheet of paper.
While drawing, he muttered about things like acyltransferases, cross-linking reactions, and lignin polymerization.
At first, Satsuki could barely keep up.
Later on, she gradually stopped understanding.
However...
Looking at the great scholar in front of her who was already over fifty years old yet excited like a child who had just discovered a new toy, she found it somewhat amusing instead.
No wonder the Technical Committee specifically had him come over.
Such a person truly obsessed with research, after discovering SF-01, probably couldn't bear to put it back into ordinary agricultural projects long ago.
...
Another ten minutes or so passed.
Kiryu finally ended his explanation.
To be precise, it was Satsuki who actively reminded him that there were other matters to decide today, and he reluctantly pulled the topic back from the synthesis pathway of a certain plant enzyme.
"So, Professor Kiryu."
Satsuki recompiled those reports.
"What does the Technical Committee want me to approve?"
Hearing this, Kiryu finally recovered some semblance of a formal report.
"We suggest elevating SF-01 to a long-term strategic research project of the group."
"At the same time, establish an independent special cell wall research plan directly led by the Technical Committee."
"Including cell wall structure analysis, lignin and hemicellulose separation, research on related enzymes, and future plant genetic improvement."
Saying this, he added another sentence.
"As for fuel ethanol, we believe a separate project team can be established to continue pushing it forward."
Hearing this, Yamada suddenly felt a bit nervous inside.
After all, Kiryu had explained it very clearly just now.
In those fields where SF-01 could truly produce major breakthroughs, he had almost no ability to participate.
If the Technical Committee decided to take over the entire project, he would most likely have to return to Shakotan and continue to be responsible for the preservation of original germplasm and ordinary breeding work.
Although he would certainly be happy to watch this plant receive more research resources.
But...
Yamada lowered his head and glanced at the briefcase on his knees.
Inside it still contained the fuel ethanol research plan he spent months finishing.
That was what he truly wanted to do.
Satsuki seemed to notice his expression.
"Mr. Yamada."
"Ah! Yes!"
"The application you submitted earlier was hoping to personally take charge of the fuel ethanol project, right?"
Yamada was slightly stunned.
Then he nodded hastily.
"Yes!"
"However, I also know that I lack professional knowledge in fermentation engineering. If the group thinks it's necessary..."
"Then you might as well continue to be in charge of it."
"...Eh?"
Yamada raised his head.
Satsuki's tone was very gentle.
"SF-01 was discovered by you, and the initial planting records, saccharification experiments, and fuel research were also completed by you bit by bit."
"Since you yourself wish to continue researching ethanol, there's no need to replace you."
"Of course, the parts truly involving industrial fermentation and factory design will be handled by professional personnel arranged by the group."
She thought for a bit.
"You will serve as the head of the fuel ethanol development project, responsible for raw material cultivation research, project coordination, and the advancement of the overall plan."
"The Technical Committee will additionally equip you with professional heads in fermentation engineering and chemical engineering."
"As for the other research directions..."
Satsuki looked towards Kiryu.
"Leave them to the professor and the Technical Committee."
Kiryu nodded immediately.
"No problem at all!"
"Yamada's experience in plant materials and raw experiments is very important. We also hope the ethanol project can continue to advance, after all, this is likely the route closest to actual commercialization."
"As for the cell wall structure and genetic mechanism, I will personally organize the team!"
Saying this, he suddenly perked up again.
"In fact, I have already contacted several former colleagues..."
"Professor."
Satsuki called out softly.
"Ah, yes!"
"Let's talk about the budget first."