"Bacterial Engineering: Transforming Plant Fiber into Dual Valuable Products"
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have engineered bacteria that can simultaneously produce two valuable chemical products from underutilized plant fiber. The bacteria, called Novosphingobium aromaticivorans, can digest lignin, a challenging component of plant cell walls, and genetically modified strains have been developed to produce plastics and carotenoids. The discovery could contribute to more sustainable and commercially viable biofuel production, as well as the extraction of high-value products from renewable biomass. The researchers aim to further enhance the strains' capabilities and explore the potential for creating other microbial chassis that can produce multiple products.