Improvements in the production of biofuels could be just around the corner thanks to the discovery of a fungus capable of breaking down cotton and other fibers. Trichoderma reesei has discovered important clues that enable organisms to break down plant fibers into simple sugars, revealed researchers of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. Corn, switchgrass, and even cellulose-based municipal waste can be converted into ethanol by this fungus known to eat through uniforms and canvas tents during WWII.
“The sequencing of the Trichoderma reesei genome is a major step towards using renewable feedstocks for the production of fuels and chemicals,” said Joel Cherry, director of research activities in second-generation biofuels for Novozymes, a collaborating institution in the study. “The information contained in its genome will allow us to better understand how this organism degrades cellulose so efficiently and to understand how it produces the required enzymes so prodigiously. Using this information, it may be possible to improve both of these properties, decreasing the cost of converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals.”