Highlights
![Cel7A cellulase enzymes (gold) are inhibited when breaking down cellulose (green) by the product, cellobiose, at both the “front door" (1) and “back door" (2) of the Cel7A tunnel, and by two other components of plant cell walls, lignin (brown) and xylan (orange).](/-/media/ber/images/highlights/2024/Hancock-PNAS-press-release.png?h=525&w=1000&la=en&hash=603A1B51007627BBADDB19179F06C59B03C09AA22D4A49FF9EE74FD153B9973A)
Scientists Gain New Molecular-Level Insights into Breaking Down Plant Material for Biofuels
A specialized microscope allows investigations of single molecules of cellulase enzymes.
![Researchers determined the nitrogen source preference of different ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms by growing cells in an ammonia-urea mixture with nitrogen-15 labeled urea or ammonia and imaging labeled cells with NanoSIMS.](/-/media/ber/images/highlights/2024/Winkler_ammonia-oxidizing-microbes.jpg?h=569&w=1430&la=en&hash=512E06D4BD20A8F68ABB85CA35CCCB6F9255898D6C656E5A6B025721D5E4647C)
Different Microorganisms Have a Taste for Different Flavors of Ammonia
Research on ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms reshapes scientists’ perspective on those microbes’ physiology and ecological niche.