Oklahoma State Researchers Studying New Biofuels Production

Oklahoma State University researchers have published the first analysis of a genome they say has potential for the cost-effective production of biofuel.

The team of researchers from Oklahoma has described multiple unique features within the genome of a kind of fungus that resides in the gut of certain animals.

The team found that the fungus was very efficient at digesting plant biomass, which makes it an interesting but yet-rarely used candidate for biofuel production.

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 analysis will appear in the August issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.