The biologists claim to have found a quicker, cheaper, cleaner way to increase bioethanol production in this microorganism by using the most abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere: nitrogen gas (N2). By replacing chemical fertilizers with N2, production costs could be slashed and cellulose ethanol derived from wood pulp made much more economically viable – so much so that the researchers believe it may compete with corn ethanol and gasoline on price.

Cellulose found in woody plants such as trees, grasses, and other inedible plant substances – like olive stones – is generally low in nitrogen, which makes cellulose all that much more difficult to convert given that nitrogen is a staple requirement for feeding ethanol-producing microbes. As a result, cellulosic ethanol makers spend many millions of dollars a year on nitrogen-rich fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate or corn-steep liquor.