Cow stomach holds key to turning corn into biofuel

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The graphic illustrates the process in which corn is genetically modified to produce an enzyme that unlocks the sugars bound in plant leaves and stalks to make them available for ethanol production. Credit: Gordon Shetler
The graphic illustrates the process in which corn is genetically modified to produce an enzyme that unlocks the sugars bound in plant leaves and stalks to make them available for ethanol production. Credit: Gordon Shetler

An enzyme from a microbe that lives inside a cow’s stomach is the key to turning corn plants into fuel, according to Michigan State University scientists.


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