May 26, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Scientists from University of Texas at Austin generated bacteria producing cellulose. According to the researchers, the cellulose is to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels. The new bacteria produce a relatively pure, gel-like form of cellulose that can be broken down easily into glucose.
Scientists generated bacteria producing cellulose
May 26, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Scientists from University of Texas at Austin generated bacteria producing cellulose. According to the researchers, the cellulose is to be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, Russian forestry review informed. The microorganisms were developed by Malkolm Brown and David Nobles giving cyanobacteria a set of cellulose-making genes from a non-photosynthetic bacterium, Acetobacter xylinum.
They belong to cyanobacteria and also produce glucose and sucrose which may be used to produce ethanol. The new cyanobacteria use sunlight as an energy source to produce sugars and cellulose. Moreover, all its excrements can be harvested without harming or destroying the microorganisms. The new bacteria produce a relatively pure, gel-like form of cellulose that can be broken down easily into glucose.
Brown sees a major benefit in using cyanobacteria to produce ethanol is a reduction in the amount of arable land turned over to fuel production and decreased pressure on forests.
