Biofuels have long been studied and, like many alternative fuels, given corporate subsidies by the government, but they haven’t made much progress. And that isn’t just because subsidies discourage innovation, it is because of biology. Lignin, which helps cell walls thick in plants, is tough.
Plant geneticists have discovered the gene regulatory networks that control cell wall thickening by the synthesis of the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. If they can know it, and understand it, they can modify it, and that may mean viable biofuels.
This work by Sam Hazen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Siobhan Brady at the University of California, Davis, and colleagues offers a framework for future research that should allow researchers to identify ways to manipulate gene regulatory networks and engineer energy crops for biofuel production.
Read full, original article: Use GMOs To Make Better Biofuels
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