Microbe Profile: : living the sweet life via biomass break-down.

is a saprophytic bacterium proficient at environmental polysaccharide degradation for carbon and energy acquisition. Genetic, enzymatic, and structural characterization of carbohydrate active enzymes, specifically those that degrade plant and animal-derived polysaccharides, demonstrated that this bacterium is a carbohydrate-bioconversion specialist. Structural analyses of these enzymes identified highly specialized carbohydrate binding modules that facilitate activity. Steady progress has been made in developing genetic tools for to better understand the function and regulation of the polysaccharide-degrading enzymes it possesses, as well as to develop it as a biotechnology platform to produce renewable fuels and chemicals.