To facilitate the conversion of cellulose from corn into ethanol, scientists have created a new genetically modified variety of corn, called Spartan Corn III, which bears a gene from a microbe naturally occurring in the gut of a cow. This gene produces an enzyme that transforms plant fibers into simple sugars.

Turning plant fibers into sugar requires three enzymes. The new variety of corn created for biofuel production, called Spartan Corn III, builds on Sticklen's earlier corn versions by containing all three necessary enzymes.

The first version, released in 2007, cuts the cellulose into large pieces with an enzyme that came from a microbe that lives in hot spring water.

Spartan Corn II, with a gene from a naturally occurring fungus, takes the large cellulose pieces created by the first enzyme and breaks them into sugar pairs.

Spartan Corn III, with the gene from a microbe in a cow, produces an enzyme that separates pairs of sugar molecules into simple sugars. These single sugars are readily fermentable into ethanol, meaning that when the cellulose is in simple sugars, it can be fermented to make ethanol.

"It will save money in ethanol production," Sticklen said. "Without it they can't convert the waste into ethanol without buying enzymes - which is expensive."

Click here to view a graphic illustrating how this new variety of corn has been genetically modified.

Source