Team develops bioprocess for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals

Team develops bioprocess for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals
Team develops bioprocess for converting plant materials into valuable chemicals

URBANA, Ill. — A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a bioprocess using engineered yeast that completely and efficiently converted plant matter consisting of acetate and xylose into high-value bioproducts.

Lignocellulose, the woody material that gives plant cells their structure, is the most abundant raw material on Earth and has long been viewed as a source of renewable energy. It  contains primarily acetate and the sugars glucose and xylose, all of which are released during decomposition. The research is led by Yong-Su Jin, professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Read more from Illinois News Bureau.