Scientists unravel more details of plant cell-wall construction
Monday, December 13, 2010 - 15:35
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- One big challenge in converting plants to biofuels is that the very same molecules that keep plants standing up make it hard to break them down. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are unraveling details of how plant cells' structural supports - their cell walls - are made, with the hope of finding ways to change their composition for more efficient biofuel production.