ENGLAND: MUSHROOMS FOR NEW ENERGY

As NewEnergyNews has observed in the past, nobody really knows which of these pure ressearch projects will turn up the secret that saves the world. Will it be this one?

Decoding mushrooms’ secrets could combat carbon, find better biofuels, safer soils
July 17, 2007 (University of Warwick via PhysOrg)

WHO
Agaricus bisporus (a mushroom), University of Warwick researchers
Agaricus bisporus (click to enlarge)

WHAT
This mushroom is a powerful ‘secondary decomposer.’ It breaks down plant material faster and more efficiently than other fungi or bacteria. The secret of its potency could make the processing of plant material into biofuels efficient enough to meet large-scale demand.

WHEN
A 90% complete genome is expected in 3 years.

WHERE
The University is on the border of Coventry and Warwickshire, near Birmingham in north central England.
Genetic materials will be sent from the University of Warwick to the Joint Genome Institute in California for sequencing.
The carbon cycle, aka The cycle of life (click to enlarge)

WHY
The researchers are sequencing the Agaricus genome in hope of understanding the genes that decompose plant matter into lignins releasing potential biofuels in the process.
The same capacity to break down and cycle carbon-based matter makes the mushrooms effective recyclers of emissions in the air and the soil, so understanding their capacity may also contribute to climate change alleviation.

QUOTES
Article: “Agaricus bisporus has around 35 megabases of genetic information coding for an estimated 11,000 genes.”