In a study published in Nature Biotechnology, scientists discover that based on the genome analysis of Tricoderma reesei, the fungus has the genes required to break down plant cell walls, to simple sugars, indicating its possible utility in biofuel production.

The researchers believe that T. reesei's genome includes "clusters" of enzyme-producing genes, a strategy that may account for the organism's efficiency at breaking down cellulose.

On an industrial scale, T. reesei could be employed to secrete enzymes that can be purified and added into an aqueous mixture of cellulose pulp and other materials to produce sugar. The sugar can then be fermented by yeast to produce ethanol.

Photo: Microscope image of T. reesei hyphae with vesicle membranes stained red and cell wall chitin in blue. Credit: Mari Valkonen, VTT Finland. Source: LANL