Molecular ‘Swiss Army Knife’ to Make Biofuel from Algae
Researchers from Michigan State University have built a molecular ‘Swiss Army Knife’ which makes the production of biofuels and other green chemicals from algae more feasible. They created a synthetic protein that improves the assembly of the carbon-fixing factory of blue-green algae.
The new protein replaces four gene products yet still supports photosynthesis. By reducing the number of genes needed to build carboxysomes, it is possible to facilitate the transfer of carboxysomes into plants.