UAE Researchers Turn to Mangrove for Novel Biofuel Enzymes

In the United Arab Emirates, researchers at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are screening mangrove root sediments for novel enzymes that can break down cellulosic waste.

UAE's mangrove trees are believed to be hosting microbes that produce cellulosic enzymes. These microbes survive by extracting the energy from plant waste that falls into the water. And because the mangrove environment in UAE is characteristically hot, saline, and intense, the resilient microbes that live there may be producing enzymes that can withstand the extreme conditions that are normally required for biorefining process in biofuels and biochemicals production.

Discovery of novel cellulosic enzymes from mangrove root sediments will be aided by genomics and bioinformatics tools. The research team is also searching the UAE's deserts, coasts, marshes and salt flats for potential biofuel plants that thrive in extreme environments.