cow rumen Archives

Team looks to the cow rumen for better biofuels enzymes

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When it comes to breaking down plant matter and converting it to energy, the cow has it all figured out. Its digestive system allows it to eat more than 150 pounds of plant matter every day. Now researchers report that they …

Microbial breakthrough impacts health, agriculture, biofuels

URBANA — For the first time ever, University of Illinois researchers have discovered how microbes break down hemicellulose plant matter into simple sugars using a cow rumen bacterium as a model.
“This is ground-breaking research,” said Isaac Ca…