Using Molecular Biology Techniques for Environmental Benefits

Abstract

In this day and age of rapid decline in environment quality, every small contribution towards its conservation becomes extremely important. If each one of us works a little towards this goal, in whatever capacity it may be, the Earth will definitely become a better place to grow, nurture and propagate life. The focus of this sec- tion is to help in reduction of conventional fuel sources and move towards a more eco-friendly option. The discussion here barely scratches the surface of this idea, and a lot more research needs to be done before viable technology can be based on it. Biomass degradation to produce biofuels is becoming increasingly important due to the rapid depletion of conventionally used fossil fuels and the pollution caused by them. This idea strikes two birds with one stone. A lot of biomass that is generated is unused and usually considered as waste, for example the parts of the food crops that are not consumed. This makes the substrate easily available and makes use of it for the betterment of the environment. Here, I concentrate on one component of biomass, Xylan, and its degradation by Xy- lanases. I begin with a bioinformatic analysis of Xylanases from hyperthermophilic organisms and proceed with trying to clone the Xylanases present in the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum