Research Targets Cells to Reduce Lignin, Boost Fermentable Sugar

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute are exploring new ways to meet the challenge of recalcitrant cellulosic feedstocks and lower the cost of biomass-based biofuels. The group recently published two papers detailing their work to genetically modify xylan and lignin, resulting in improved conversion characteristics in the model plants used in the research.
...While researchers were successful in reducing lignin, it came at a cost, Henrik Scheller, vice president for feedstocks division with the JBEI. “Plants have lignin for a reason. Plants tend to be dwarf or fall over if you breed or find mutants that don’t have much lignin. We needed a new approach.”
Xylan was also targeted by the JBEI researchers, to decrease the proportion of xylose in the model plant, while increasing the glucose. ...In some cases, cellulosic ethanol developers have focused their pretreatment and conversion efforts on cellulose, discarding the xylose-containing, hemicellulose portion, he added, “but then you throw away half the biomass.”
...The research detailing the genetic modification approach on lignin, “Engineering secondary cell wall deposition in plants,” was published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
The research detailing the work done on xylan, “Engineering of plants with improved properties as biofuels feedstocks by vessel-specific complementation of xylan biosynthesis mutants,” was published online at Biotechnology for Biofuels. READ MORE and MORE (Balkans.com) Abstract (lignin) Abstract (xylan)