Breakthrough discovery could revolutionize biofuel production and reduce global emissions.
The way lignin and cellulose stick together in plant cell walls affects how hard it is to break down plant material for biofuel. Scientists found that different parts of cellulose attract lignin in different ways. Surprisingly, lignin doesn't strongly prefer the hydrophobic parts of cellulose. This means that the structure of lignin plays a big role in how well it sticks to cellulose.