Enabling Sciences Center News Today

A group of chemists has recently identified a method to blend carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen into a wide range of plastics, including leak-proof food packaging, heat-resistant car components, and durable personal protective equipment.

 E-Mail A foundational study conducted by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows for the first time that white-rot fungi are able to use carbon captured from lignin as a carbon source. The research confirms a hypothesis from Davinia Salvachúa Rodriguez, the senior author of a newly published paper. Until now, scientists were unsure whether white-rot fungi--the most efficient lignin-degrading organisms in nature--actually consume the products generated from breakin...