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A fungus converts cellulose directly into a novel platform chemical - EurekAlert


The fungus Talaromyces verruculosus can produce the chemical erythro-isocitric acid, which has received little attention on the market to date, directly from cheap plant waste and thus make it interesting for industrial utilization. Using the natural abilities of the non-genetically modified fungus, a research team from Jena has discovered a method for the efficient conversion of cellulose into a form of isocitric acid. The new production method could significantly simplify the previously complex and multi-stage process for obtaining platform chemicals from cellulose by requiring only a single bioprocess. Thanks to the new cost-effective method, the rarely utilized sister molecule of the intensively used citric acid can benefit a sustainable circular economy – provided there is a market for it. The study was published by a research team from the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

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