March 23, 2018
Most zoo visitors go to see the animals. U.C. Santa Barbara chemical engineer Michelle O’Malley visits for their poop. That’s because the dung of grazers like sheep, giraffes, and elephants is rich in cellulose-chomping fungi and bacteria. O’Malley’s goal is to steal the microbes’ biodegradation secrets, so that we might be better equipped to turn corn stalks, grass, and other agricultural waste into energy.