— Archaeologists find new evidence of animals being introduced to prehistoric Caribbean — An archaeological research team from North Carolina State University, the University of Washington and University of Florida has found one of the most diverse collections of prehistoric…
— Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars — The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have up sticks and colonise space. But is the human body up to the challenge?…
— Chemical warfare of stealthy silverfish — A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants (Leptogenys distinguenda) share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and…
— Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances — Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of anti-bacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle…
— Genetic code of first arachnid cracked — An international team of scientists - including Ghent VIB scientists - has succeeded in deciphering the genome of the spider mite. This is also the first known genome of an arachnid.…
— How bats 'hear' objects in their path — By placing real and virtual objects in the flight paths of bats, scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Munich have shed new light on how echolocation works. Their research is…
— Counting cats: The endangered snow leopards of the Himalayas — The elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives high in the mountains across Central Asia. Despite potentially living across 12 countries the actual numbers of this beautiful large…
— Surprise role of nuclear structure protein in development — Scientists have long held theories about the importance of proteins called B-type lamins in the process of embryonic stem cells replicating and differentiating into different varieties…
— Pregnancy is a drag for bottlenose dolphins — Lumbering around during the final weeks before delivery is tough for any pregnant mum. Most females adjust their movements to compensate for the extreme physical changes that accompany…
Wine-making yeast shows promise for bioethanol production
Researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a gene in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that might be important for ethanol production from plant material, providing insights into the bioethanol alternative to 'fossil fuels.' Combining new high-throughput genome sequencing technology with traditional genetic methods, this study highlights the previously unknown potential of natural S. cerevisiae strains to convert five-carbon sugars such as xylose into ethanol. Details are published May 13 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
S. cerevisiae is the primary organism used in the fermentation process required for industrial bioethanol production. However, despite voraciously fermenting the six-carbon sugars, such as glucose, found in cornstarch or sugar cane, it was not thought to be able to ferment the five-carbon sugars that are abundant in agricultural wastes or dedicated crops like switchgrass. As the industry moves towards plant-based ethanol, a strain of yeast that can ferment both types of sugar equally well is highly desirable.
Therefore, Jared Wenger and Katja Schwartz sought to identify previously unstudied Saccharomyces yeast strains with some ability to ferment xylose. They found a number of strains, primarily used in wine-making, which could metabolise this important sugar in order to grow slowly. They studied one strain in particular, applying a new genome sequencing technology to determine the genetic basis of its growth - the presence of a single gene they named XDH1.
Although the ability of these naturally occurring yeasts to grow on this sugar is modest and they are still not as capable at using xylose as other, genetically-modified strains, this discovery may lead to the development of new, industrially-applicable strains of S. cerevisiae for use in large-scale bioethanol production.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
New snub-nosed monkey discovered in Northern Myanmar
MBL scientists reveal findings of World Ocean Microbe Census
Owl monkeys need moonlight as much as a biological clock for nocturnal activity
Brainy worms: Evolution of the cerebral cortex