Cyanobacteria exonerated by scientists in gene mix-up

Biofuels Digest
Thomas Saidak December 16, 2011

In Pennsylvania, Penn State reports that researchers have corrected a mistake from a 1967 study by showing that cyanobacteria do in fact have the genes for an alternate means of completing the critical tricarboxilic acid cycle. The researchers used tools that were lacking in 1967 to show that the two enzymes required to complete the TCA cycle are present in all but a couple of marine cyanobacteria.

Donald Bryant, professor at Penn State comments, “Now that we understand better how cyanobacteria make energy, it might be possible to genetically engineer a cyanobacterial strain to synthesize 1,4-butanediol…”

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