Eco Factor: Research focuses on ways to produce biomass best suited for biofuel production.
Researchers at Purdue University have identified and grouped the genes responsible for cell wall development in maize, which could further help discover ways to produce biomass best suited for biofuel production. Discovering some 32,000 genes of maize, scientists can study the function of individual genes and how they affect plant development.
The research team was mostly interested in studying the genes that regulate cellulose, lignin and other parts of the plant’s cell walls. The team now hopes to develop catalysts or catalytic sites into plants and use heat or chemical catalysts to directly convert the biomass into fuel.
Scientists can grow plants that have a gene mutation and compare them to those without the mutation to understand how changes alter biomass accumulation or quality in maize. The next step in using the data collected will include testing the mutant genes and exploring how expression of particular genes can be regulated to produce desired characteristics in a maize plant.
Via: Purdue University [Press Release]
