An international team of scientists have isolated an enzyme , commonly found in fungi , which is crucial to the decomposition of wood and may help in the development of a carbon - neutral , sustainable ecosystem . In an article published in Nature Chemical Biology , the team demonstrated how lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases can break down down xylans , carbohydrate molecule that is resistant to degradation . It is hoped the enzyme can lead to wood biomass being used as a biofuel , currently not a viable option , due to costly and energy - consuming pre - treatment processes .
An international team of scientists have isolated an enzyme, commonly found in fungi, which is crucial to the decomposition of wood and could help in the creation of a wood-based, sustainable biofuels. In an article published in Nature Chemical Biology, the team revealed how lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases can break down down xylans, carbohydrate molecule that is resistant to degradation. It is hoped the breakthrough can lead to wood biomass being used as a biofuel, currently not a viable option, due to costly and energy-consuming pre-treatment processes.