They also could help livestock get more nutrition out of their feed. The genes Chapple identified affect production of lignin, compounds that stiffen plant stems and protect them from decay. They're also the compounds that paper companies have to break down and get rid of to make cardboard, newspapers, books, facial tissues and rayon from trees or other plants. Lignin in alfalfa, corn and other crops also can make it hard for livestock to digest feeds made from those plants.
Plants make two types of lignin, syringyl lignin and guaiacyl lignin.
The lignins are alike in many ways, but there's a difference in the way they break down. Syringyl lignin is relatively easy to digest and degrade. Guaiacyl lignin is tougher stuff. He is convinced that they can be used to transform and breed trees that are easier to process, helping processors get more pulp per tree and reducing the need for some harmful chemicals. He also believes that the same genes can make alfalfa, corn and grass more digestible for livestock.