Wheat stalks are mainly composed of three different organic materials. These are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Molecules of cellulose are joined in chains, which then layer together to create cellulose fibres. Hemicellulose is mostly made up of pentose sugar monomers.

Hemicellulose is a small molecule and functions a bit like a glue in that it holds cellulose fibres together. The third organic material, 5 lignin, is also a polymer. Unlike the other two substances, however, it is not a carbohydrate. It provides extra strength by covering the cellulose in the cell wall.

After the harvesting of a wheat crop, the hollow wheat stalks are dried, then cut and formed into bales of straw. Straw has a very low moisture content.

The straw can be used to produce a variety of useful organic substances. For example, it can be used as an ingredient in biofuels, packaging materials and paper manufacturing. A key step in the process is converting the cellulose to glucose. Although enzymes can be used for this process, a complication with this is that the lignin covering the cellulose within the straw stops the cellulose from being broken down by such enzymes. The lignin must therefore be removed before this can occur.