Salt-loving microbe provides new enzymes for the production of next-generation biofuels
Thursday, June 30, 2011 - 09:30
in Biology & Nature
To realize the full potential of advanced biofuels that are derived from lignocellulosic biomass, new technologies that can efficiently and cost-effectively break down this biomass into simple sugars are required. A new class of solvents, ionic liquids, are more efficient in treating the biomass and enhancing the yield of sugars liberated from it. To identify new enzymes that are tolerant of ionic liquids, researchers are turning to salt-tolerant organisms isolated from the Great Salt Lake.