Scientists’ discovery could end hunger

Feeding the hungry may be a feasible goal. Scientists recently figured out how to take corn stover, the leaves, stem, and husk from corn, and transform it into amylose, a starch that is high in dietary fiber.

The process needs very little water, and no soil, fertilizer, or pesticides to make the transformation possible. Researchers from Virginia Tech were able to take cellulose and alter it, so it became starch. This discovery is welcomed, as up to 40 percent of a person’s diet consists of starch.

“The difference [between cellulose and starch] is in their chemical linkages,” said Y.H. Percival Zhang, an associate professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech and lead researcher behind the new study. “Our idea is to use an enzyme cascade to break up the bonds in cellulose, enabling their reconfiguration as starch.”

Corn is not the only plant which can be altered into starch. The procedure can be done to any plant having cellulose. The lab isn’t the only place this can be concocted as the making of this particular starch is fairly easy. No heat, chemicals, or expensive machines are needed and it does not pollute the earth. Besides being used as food, others sectors can benefit from this such as those who deal with biodegradable packaging.