We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste and even clean up pollution. Yeast and bacteria can also convert plant sugars into biofuels and chemicals traditionally derived from fossil fuels—a key component of most plans to slow climate change.
    • wieson@lemmy.world
      6·
      10 months ago

      Short: PDC and beta-carotin

      Long: the bacteria can digest lignin into core ingredients used for plastics and nylon: PDC and ccMA. They had another strand that could produce some form of carotinoid and modified it to produce more valuable carotinoids (like beta-carotin used as a food supplement). Then they combined both attributes into one bacteria strand.