Oklahoma researchers find promising cellulosic biofuels genes in rumen fungus

In Oklahoma, researchers at Oklahoma State University have published the first analysis of a genome of rumen fungus, organisms that reside in the gut of ruminant animals and are remarkably efficient at digesting plant biomass. The team’s genomic and experimental analyses indicate the fungus efficiently degrades a wide range of non-crop plant materials, such as switchgrass, corn stover, sorghum and energy cane. The extent of plant biomass degradation has rarely been observed in other microorganisms.

“The concurrent capability of plant biomass degradation, known as saccharification, and product formation from sugars, known as fermentation, renders anaerobic fungi very promising agents for consolidating various processes in a biofuel production scheme, an approach that significantly lowers the cost of biofuel production,” said Mostafa Elshahed, associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. The next phase of the team’s work will be to improve the ratio of ethanol to acids produced by the degradation of plant biomass from this fungus. The fungus currently produces more acids than ethanol as a final product.

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