All Entries Tagged With: "fungi"

Researchers turn to leafcutter ants to understand complex enzyme, fungal systems for cellulosic conversion

In Wisconsin, researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have focused on a cocktail of enzymes generated by leafcutter ants for opportunities to improve cellulosic ethanol yields. Leafcutter ants live in tropical gardens and have developed a sophisticated fungal system – with the ants and fungi being completely interdependent for survival.
Garret Suen, a post [...]

November 11, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Cornell researchers pioneer method to rapidly screen fungi species for biofuels-friendly properties

Researchers from Cornell have developed a new method to rapidly screen species of fungi for attributes that can produce biofuels on a sustainable basis. Biotechnology and Bioengineering has published their method, which focuses on the ability of fungi enzymes to rapidly break down cell walls of non-food materials such as switchgrass or crop residues, on [...]

February 13, 2009 | Jim Lane | Comments 0