We present evidence that lignin, a recalcitrant and partially aromatic polymer found in plant cell walls, can be modified by anaerobic microorganisms. This finding overturns a long-standing paradigm that all biological processes of lignin degradation require oxygen and motivates further exploration of understudied biology to inform biotechnological innovation.
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This is a summary of: Lankiewicz, T. S. et al. Lignin deconstruction by anaerobic fungi. Nat. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01336-8 (2023).
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Lignin modification by anaerobes revealed. Nat Microbiol 8, 567–568 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01343-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01343-9