DNA Analysis Strategy Aids in Study of Biofuel Feedstocks

by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers from Michigan State University, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the largest soil DNA sequencing effort.
“The Great Prairie represents the largest expanse of the world’s most fertile soils, which makes it important as a reference site and for understanding the biological basis and ecosystem services of its microbial community,” said James Tiedje, distinguished professor at the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. “It sequesters the most carbon of any soil system in the U.S. and produces large amounts of biomass annually, which is key for biofuels, food security and carbon sequestration.”
During the study, MSU researchers sought to compare the microbial populations of different soils sampled from sites that were once native prairie with 100 years of agricultural cultivation.
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By learning more about the rhizosphere of the biofuel crops, microbial populations and gene content the researchers hope to discover methods that may make biofuel crop production more sustainable in marginal soil, Tiedje explains. “We’re focusing, in this case, the nitrogen cycle genes because nitrogen is an input cost you would want to minimize and maximize the cycling of nitrogen in its native system.” READ MORE Abstract