Supporting World Cancer Day 2018

The structure of the enzymes were explored using the Macromolecular Crystallography beamlines I03 and I04 here at Diamond. These enzymes are active on lignin, which scientists have been trying for decades to break down efficiently.

“To protect their sugar-containing cellulose, plants have evolved a fascinatingly complicated material called lignin that only a small selection of fungi and bacteria can tackle. However, lignin represents a vast potential source of sustainable chemicals, so if we can find a way to extract and use those building blocks, we can create great things.”