Scientists’ new discovery may lead to production of sustainable biofuel

Using the plant arabidopsis, Paul Dupree and his team found three enzymes responsible for the production of all detectable levels of a type of sugar called glucomannan. “We now know that it may be possible to increase glucomannan specifically in harvestable plant organs, such as stems. This could be very beneficial for the production of bioenergy crops where higher proportions of enzyme-accessible fermentable sugars, such as those in glucomannan, could lead to higher yields of fuel. Achieving higher fuel yields from crops will increase the likelihood of sustainable and economic biofuels displacing fossil fuels,” Dupree explained. Dupree leads the Cell Wall Sugars Research Program within the BBSRC Sustainable Bionenergy Centre in the U.K. (February 2, 2010)