Purdue researchers find gene to limit lignin production; may enable cellulosic ethanol efficiencies
In Indiana, Purdue researchers have identified, in an article published in the Plant Cell online journal, a gene linked to potential increases in cellulosic ethanol process efficiency. The gene is responsible for phenylalanine production, and by suppressing the gene’s expression, the research team reduced 80 percent of phenylalanine content in petunias.
The amino acid phenylalanine is a building block for lignin, and reducing the phenylalanine content is a precursor to developing plant feedstocks with lower lignin content and weaker plant walls — easier to process for cellulosic ethanol. Follow up research will focus on the operation of various pathways which, after the introduction of sugars, process the sugars into 8000 aromatic and other compounds vital for plant health.
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Category: Research
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