How would nature break down persistent pollutants?
Lignin, a major component of woody plants, would persist in the environment long after a plant dies were it not for enzymes secreted by fungi and other organisms that breakdown lignin and use the resulting by-products as carbon and energy sources. Understanding how these enzymes work, such as in this recently published paper via the Royal Society of Chemistry, could lead to new ways of breaking down toxic industrial organic pollutants that persist and bioaccumulate.
Contributed by Mark Dorfman
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