Resurrected enzyme aces cellulose catalysis
By 
Katrina Krämer2019-07-08T14:30:00
Protein that survived extreme conditions on early Earth could be a boon for biofuel industry
A 2.8-billion-year-old enzyme has been resurrected to help with industrial biofuel production. The cellulose-chewing protein, which evolved at the dawn of life when Earth was an inhospitable place, is at least twice as active as its modern counterparts under the harsh conditions of biomass breakdown.