MSU scientists may have found a easier way to turn corn plants into fuel, but it's not easy to get to. Inside the stomach of a cow is a bacteria and inside that bacteria is an enzyme and this enzyme is the key.
What it does is turns plant fibers - or cellulose - into energy. This step is huge when it comes to biofuel production. So, with this enzyme it simplifies this process. Traditionally, only the corn's kernels are used to make
ethanol. However, with this enzyme, by injecting it into the corn plant, the entire plant can be utilized, thus producing more fuel.
Exerpt:
The enzyme that allows a cow to digest grasses and other plant
fibers can be used to turn other plant fibers into simple sugars. These
simple sugars can be used to produce ethanol to power cars and trucks.
MSU scientists have discovered a way to grow corn plants that
contain this enzyme. They have inserted a gene from a bacterium that
lives in a cow’s stomach into a corn plant. Now, the sugars locked up
in the plant’s leaves and stalk can be converted into usable sugar
without expensive synthetic chemicals.
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