ON
🔍
← Back to feed
United KingdomScience7 days ago

Burned as waste for years, this overlooked plant material is poised to reshape how nylon gets made

A new study published in Nature describes a method for converting lignin—a common byproduct of paper and biofuel production—into adipic acid, a key component in nylon manufacturing. This process combines techniques from oil refining with engineered microbes to achieve higher yields than previously possible. Lignin, currently mostly discarded or burned as waste, could offer a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based methods of producing nylon.

Data availability

Sequence data for environmental isolates and adaptive laboratory evolution populations and isolates are available on NCBI BioProject PRJNA1289884 (BioSample information listed in Supplementary Data  1 ). All other data from this study are included in the main text, Supplementary Information and Supplementary Data  1 .

References

Liao, Y. et al. A sustainable wood biorefinery for low-carbon footprint chemicals production. Science 367 , 1385–1390 (2020).

Article

CAS

PubMed

ADS

Google Scholar

Meng, Q. et al. Sustainable production of benzene from lignin. Nat. Commun. 12 , 4534 (2021).

Article

CAS

PubMed

PubMed Central

ADS

Google Scholar

Subbotina, E. et al. Oxidative cleavage of C–C bonds in lignin. Nat. Chem. 13 , 1118–1125 (2021).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Werner, A. Z. et al. Lignin conversion to β-ketoadipic acid by Pseudomonas putida via metabolic engineering and bioprocess development. Sci. Adv. 9 , eadj0053 (2023).

Article

CAS

PubMed

PubMed Central

Google Scholar

Schutyser, W. et al. Chemicals from lignin: an interplay of lignocellulose fractionation, depolymerisation, and upgrading. Chem. Soc. Rev. 47 , 852–908 (2018).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Questell-Santiago, Y. M., Galkin, M. V., Barta, K. & Luterbacher, J. S. Stabilization strategies in biomass depolymerization using chemical functionalization. Nat. Rev. Chem. 4 , 311–330 (2020).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Gu, N. X. et al. Autoxidation catalysis for carbon–carbon bond cleavage in lignin. ACS Cent. Sci. 9 , 2277–2285 (2023).

Article

CAS

PubMed

PubMed Central

Google Scholar

Palumbo, C. T. et al. Catalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage in lignin via manganese–zirconium-mediated autoxidation. Nat. Commun. 15 , 862 (2024).

Article

CAS

PubMed

PubMed Central

ADS

Google Scholar

Palumbo, C. T. et al. Accessing monomers from lignin through carbon–carbon bond cleavage. Nat. Rev. Chem. 8 , 799–816 (2024).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Tomás, R. A. F., Bordado, J. C. M. & Gomes, J. F. P. p -Xylene oxidation to terephthalic acid: a literature review oriented toward process optimization and development. Chem. Rev. 113 , 7421–7469 (2013).

Article

PubMed

Google Scholar

Speight, J. Petroleum refinery processes. In Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (Wiley, 2018); https://doi.org/10.1002/0471238961.1805060919160509.a01.pub3 .

Musser, M. T. Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone. In Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry (Wiley, 2000); https://doi.org/10.1002/14356007.a08_217

Zakzeski, J., Bruijnincx, P. C. A., Jongerius, A. L. & Weckhuysen, B. M. The catalytic valorization of lignin for the production of renewable chemicals. Chem. Rev. 110 , 3552–3599 (2010).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Sun, Z., Fridrich, B., de Santi, A., Elangovan, S. & Barta, K. Bright side of lignin depolymerization: toward new platform chemicals. Chem. Rev. 118 , 614–678 (2018).

Article

CAS

PubMed

PubMed Central

Google Scholar

Ralph, J., Lapierre, C. & Boerjan, W. Lignin structure and its engineering. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 56 , 240–249 (2019).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Lucarini, M. & Pedulli, G. F. Free radical intermediates in the inhibition of the autoxidation reaction. Chem. Soc. Rev. 39 , 2106–2119 (2010).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Stone, M. L. et al. Continuous hydrodeoxygenation of lignin to jet-range aromatic hydrocarbons. Joule 6 , 2324–2337 (2022).

Article

CAS

Google Scholar

Webber, M. S. et al. Lignin deoxygenation for the production of sustainable aviation fuel blendstocks. Nat. Mater. 23 , 1622–1638 (2024).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Webber, M. S. et al. Drop-in sustainable aviation fuels enabled by feedstock-agnostic lignin deoxygenation. Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 6 , 102687 (2025).

Article

CAS

Google Scholar

Shanks, B. H. & Keeling, P. L. Bioprivileged molecules: creating value from biomass. Green Chem. 19 , 3177–3185 (2017).

Article

CAS

Google Scholar

Cywar, R. M., Rorrer, N. A., Hoyt, C. B., Beckham, G. T. & Chen, E. Y. X. Bio-based polymers with performance-advantaged properties. Nat. Rev. Mater. 7 , 83–103 (2021).

Article

Google Scholar

Partenheimer, W. Methodology and scope of metal/bromide autoxidation of hydrocarbons. Catal. Today 23 , 69–158 (1995).

Article

CAS

Google Scholar

Partenheimer, W. The aerobic oxidative cleavage of lignin to produce hydroxyaromatic benzaldehydes and carboxylic acids via metal/bromide catalysts in acetic acid/water mixtures. Adv. Synth. Catal. 351 , 456–466 (2009).

Article

CAS

Google Scholar

Liu, A. et al. Biomanufacturing of value-added chemicals from lignin. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 89 , 103178 (2024).

Article

CAS

PubMed

Google Scholar

Pereyra-Camacho, M. A. & Pardo, I. Biological degradation of phthalates: from bioremediation to plastic waste…

Read the full article at Nature News →
Source document: Nature (2026)

3 reports

Phys.orgIndependentCenter7 days ago
Burned as waste for years, this overlooked plant material is poised to reshape how nylon gets made

A new study published in Nature describes a method for converting lignin—a common byproduct of paper and biofuel production—into adipic acid, a key component in nylon manufacturing. This process combines techniques from oil refining with engineered microbes to achieve higher yields than previously possible. Lignin, currently mostly discarded or burned as waste, could offer a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based methods of producing nylon.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a scientific discovery without overt ideological framing. It focuses on technical details of the research, mentions the environmental benefits of using lignin as a renewable resource, and does not take a stance on policy, politics, or social issues. The tone remains neutral and,

Official sources cited

Nature NewsParty-alignedCenter11 days ago
Lignin to adipic acid in a high-yield chemical and biological redox process

The article discusses a new method for converting lignin into adipic acid through a high-yield chemical and biological redox process. The research involves the use of microbial metabolism and chemical engineering techniques to transform lignin, a complex polymer found in plant cell walls, into valuable industrial chemicals with lower carbon footprints. The study references previous work on lignin conversion and sustainable chemical production.

Bias read (Center): The article presents scientific findings without overt ideological framing. It focuses on technical details of chemical processes and references prior research without taking a stance on policy, politics, or social issues. The content is purely descriptive and does not exhibit bias toward any side.

Official sources cited

Nature NewsParty-alignedCenter11 days ago
Hybrid refinery process turns plant material into industrially important chemical

Researchers have developed a hybrid refinery process that efficiently converts lignin, a complex plant biopolymer, into adipic acid—a key component in the production of nylon. This method involves a combination of chemical and biological steps, achieving higher yields than previous approaches. The study suggests a new strategy for transforming lignin into industrially useful chemicals.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a scientific discovery without overt ideological framing. It focuses on technical details of the research and does not take a stance on policy, politics, or social issues. The language remains neutral and descriptive.

Official sources cited

Go to the primary sources (7)

The official sources this coverage is built on. Read them directly to bypass framing.