The researchers wanted to find the best way to break down corn stalks into useful materials. They tested different temperatures, acidity levels, enzyme amounts, and times to see what worked best. They discovered that the ideal conditions are 50℃ hot, pH 4.8, with 30 units of enzyme per milliliter, for 40 hours. Using all these things together, they could break down 66% of the corn stalks, up from the usual 44%.