Chemists unlock the key to improving biofuel and biomaterial production

Spectroscopy method enables future opportunities for looking at complex biomolecules in different plants

08-Feb-2022 - As the world searches for and demands more sustainable sources of energy and materials, plant biomass may provide the solution by serving as a renewable resource for biomaterials and biofuel production. However, until now, the complex physical and chemical interactions in plant biomass have been ...

Nanotechnology reveals hidden depths of bacterial 'machines'

12-Jun-2017 - New research from the University of Liverpool, has probed the structure and material properties of protein machines in bacteria, which have the capacity to convert carbon dioxide into sugar through photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are a phylum of bacteria that produce oxygen and energy during ...

Insight into enzyme's 3-D structure could cut biofuel costs

19-May-2017 - Using neutron crystallography, a Los Alamos research team has mapped the three-dimensional structure of a protein that breaks down polysaccharides, such as the fibrous cellulose of grasses and woody plants, a finding that could help bring down the cost of creating biofuels. The research focused ...