Biodiesel and Ethanol Investing

Ethanol Producer Magazine reports that researchers from Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin, are looking to leafcutter ants for an enzymatic processes that will improve efforts to commercialize cellulosic ethanol. Leafcutter ants have evolved several features over time that make their particular enzymes attractive to researchers. Using several different enzymes may allow existing ethanol plants to become multi-feedstock facilities–if they can capture the enzymes they need. With the leafcutter ants, the mixture of enzymes works in balance, but that nuanced formula would be nearly impossible to synthesize in a lab.