A University of Florida research team recently received one of only seven 2009 Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy grants from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. The group is using $643,000 to study a newly discovered gene that may be the key to producing fuel ethanol more efficiently from trees. Research will look at fundamental biological mechanisms critical for the productivity of tree species and the quality of wood products, focusing on a gene first identified by grad student Evandro Novaes.
It appears that the gene Cpg13, which stands for Carbon Partitioning and Growth on chromosome 13, controls how much of the carbon taken up by a poplar tree is used to make cellulose and lignin, two major building blocks of plant cell walls. Cellulose is a complex carbohydrate, which can be broken down into glucose and fermented to produce biofuels. Wood with high cellulose and low lignin content is better suited for biofuels such as ethanol, because it should convert more efficiently and with greater yields. High cellulose content is also a desirable trait for producing pulp and paper. The grants, totaling $6.32 million, were announced this week.
The UF team’s three-year, $643,000 grant will fund research on how the gene helps regulate cell wall chemistry and structure. The scientists will also investigate where and when its effects occur. Eventually, they will create genetically engineered trees that overexpress or underexpress the gene, to study resulting changes in wood composition and biomass growth.
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