Understanding how animals digest bamboo boosts biofuel production
Scientists at Agriculture Canada are studying the digestive habits of beavers and pandas, in an attempt to learn more about how the animals break down bamboo. It is hoped that the results will be applicable to the improvement of biofuel research. The team wants to know how enzymes in the creatures' gut work to dissolve plant material, and whether the process can be applied to ruminant digestion to help produce biofuels from plant cellulose.

In Canada, scientists in Ottawa with Agriculture Canada are looking at how pandas digest bamboo to better understand the fungi and microbes that help them digest the branches and twigs. This builds on another recent study about how beavers digest trees and how the enzymes in their gut help break down the material to get nutrients. The hope is that the digestion and microbiomes of beavers and pandas can help researchers apply that knowledge to ruminant digestion and help with biofuel production from plant cellulose.

Wen Chen told Western Producer, “What we’re seeing in the lab is really exciting. Imagine the possibilities that exist in reducing our reliance on petrochemicals by improving the way we make biofuel.”