SAN FRANCISCO – A new study has now shed fresh insight into accessing sugars trapped within plants, paving the way for petroleum-free fuels, chemicals, and medicines.
Cellulose, abundant in plant residues, poses a challenge due to its toughness. Specialized enzymes in certain organisms facilitate the breakdown of cellulose into essential sugars for microbial metabolism. Harnessing these microbes and their enzymes offers a sustainable solution for producing valuable compounds from otherwise discarded products.
According to the team of researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and UC Davis, the innovation heralds a promising pathway towards a greener, more resilient future.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed an innovative experimental system to unravel the intricacies of cellulose breakdown by enzymes. Cellulose, composed of glucose molecules held together by covalent bonds, forms complex fibrils stabilized by hydrogen bonds. These bonds hinder enzyme access to covalent bonds, slowing cellulose-chopping.
To gain insight into this mechanism, Berkeley Lab scientists designed a device containing cellulose from green algae and enzymes derived from fungi. This setup facilitates real-time observation of structural changes in cellulose during enzymatic reactions.
The device, resembling a small disk, merges the cellulose and enzyme-containing fluids while exposed to infrared light from the Advanced Light Source (ALS). Detectors monitor spectral changes in the combined fluids, indicating chemical bonds or environmental alterations over time.
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