Panda Poop Microbes for Biofuel Production Identified

Researchers at the Mississippi State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered bacteria in panda feces, which can aid in the process of breaking down the tough plant biomass into fermentable sugars, the precursors of bioethanol.

The researchers have identified more than 40 microbes living in the guts of giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo. These microbes release potent enzymes for digesting tough plant materials, also called lignocellulose. The researchers believe that panda gut enzymes are very efficient in breaking down lignocellulose as the time from eating bamboo biomass to defecation is comparatively short in the panda.

Scientists have been developing the technology for efficiently turning lignocellulosic biomass like agricultural waste, grasses and other plant materials not intended for food into biofuels. Enzymatic efficiency is a key to this conversion, hence, the focus on panda gut microbial enzymes.

The study, presented at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), also found bacteria that can turn sugars into oils and fats, which may be used for biodiesel production. Either the bacteria themselves or the enzymes in them could be part of the conversion process.