Garret Suen studies how symbiotic microbes convert biomass into usable nutrients for their herbivore hosts and how this is applicable to the production of biofuels. ​His research includes understanding the microbes associated with the deconstruction of biomass and what genetic or molecular mechanisms are used. In application, the highly efficient cellulose degraders found in these microbial communities could be applied to the breakdown of biomass material allowing biofuels to be created using less energy.