Suspicions of bacteria’s role in rotting wood finally proven
Bacteria have been thought to be involved in breaking down lignin for 40 years but evidence has been hard to come by
A long held hypothesis that bacteria, and not just fungi, are involved in the decomposition of lignin, a tough structural component of wood, has finally been confirmed. The work could help unlock the economic potential of lignin allowing these complex organic polymers to be turned into useful chemicals.