Unlocking lignin for sustainable biofuel
Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - 13:30
in Biology & Nature
In an effort to further the commercial viability of cellulosic ethanol, a team of scientists used the Titan supercomputer to model the interaction of lignin and hemicellulose in the plant cell wall of a genetically modified aspen tree. The team’s conclusion—that hydrophobic, or water repelling, lignin binds less with hydrophilic, or water attracting, hemicellulose—points researchers toward a promising way to engineer better plants for biofuel.