Can we produce an amylase equivalent for cellulose?

Message boards : Rosetta@home Science : Can we produce an amylase equivalent for cellulose?

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Profile dgnuff
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Message 54883 - Posted: 3 Aug 2008, 20:20:05 UTC

A search for "cellulose" produced nothing, so ...

Ruminant animals have bacteria in the first two stomachs that are capable of breaking down cellulose into sugars. I can't help but wonder whether Rosetta is capable of designing a custom enzyme that could do the same thing in vitreo.

The uses of such an enzyme as a precursor to fermentation for fuel alcohol would seem to me to be an interesting and possibly worthwhile research project ...
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Message 54924 - Posted: 5 Aug 2008, 15:21:20 UTC - in response to Message 54883.  

A search for "cellulose" produced nothing, so ...

Ruminant animals have bacteria in the first two stomachs that are capable of breaking down cellulose into sugars. I can't help but wonder whether Rosetta is capable of designing a custom enzyme that could do the same thing in vitreo.

The uses of such an enzyme as a precursor to fermentation for fuel alcohol would seem to me to be an interesting and possibly worthwhile research project ...

certainly would. It'd probably have loads of uses...

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Message boards : Rosetta@home Science : Can we produce an amylase equivalent for cellulose?



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