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Scientist Hack Plants to Turn Biomass into Fuel Using the Sun

2 points| kevindeasis | 10 years ago |nature.com

3 comments

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[+] Jaruzel|10 years ago|reply
I found this a bit impenetrable, can someone who understands it better than I can, provide a not so technical explanation of how it works? thanks!
[+] qbrass|10 years ago|reply
They're hoping to make producing cellulostic ethanol easier.

They found out that by combining photosynthetic pigment with the enzymes plant-eating fungus use to break cellulose down, they can speed up the process. The pigment absorbs light and produces electrons needed by the enzymes to do their work.