CHARTS: The coming critical minerals trade war is BRICS short of a load
"While a large number of countries around the world continue to talk about securing raw material supply, China is actually doing something about it."
Scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory are shining a light on enzymes from fungi that could make biofuels economically viable.
In a paper published in the journal Chemical Science, the researchers explain that their findings are crucial because, so far, the enzymes required for the production of nonfood, plant-based biofuels are too inefficient and costly to produce.
According to the study, enzymes called lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases, (LPMOs) excel at breaking down organic matter, but exactly how they work has been unclear. Typical enzymes are made of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, but LPMOs also contain copper.
Using neutron scattering, the Oak Ridge researchers have already shown how LPMOs bind oxygen to copper to break down biomass. Going a step further, they have now discovered that the process is driven by an amino acid that donates protons to the oxygen molecule.
“This new information will allow us to redesign and test different versions of LPMOs with improved efficiency that will help make cellulosic ethanol more feasible,” Flora Meilleur, corresponding author of the paper, said in a media statement.
