Harnessing molds to make valuable products

News Brief

March 23, 2017

• Tom Rickey, PNNL, (509) 375-3732

RICHLAND, Wash. — Scientists at EMSL and their colleagues from several institutions have learned more about how molds become cellular factories that can synthesize a range of diverse products, including precursors to alternative fuels. The researchers found that a cellular compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum plays a key role, acting as a central staging area to gather raw materials as well as an assembly line coordinating multiple steps of biosynthesis. The findings — made at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy User Facility on the campus of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — have implications for energy production, agriculture and human health.

For more information, see the highlight or read the scientific manuscript.

Tags: Energy, Fundamental Science, EMSL, Biomass, Biofuel, Microbiology

EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, is a DOE Office of Science user facility. Located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., EMSL offers an open, collaborative environment for scientific discovery to researchers around the world. Its integrated computational and experimental resources enable researchers to realize important scientific insights and create new technologies. Follow EMSL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on signature capabilities in chemistry, earth sciences, and data analytics to advance scientific discovery and create solutions to the nation's toughest challenges in energy resiliency and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.