ENERGYPOPLAR

Enhancing Poplar Traits for Energy Applications

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Green plants application is being promoted through different European directives, which aim to achieve 5.75% of liquid fuel supply by 2010 and 20% by 2020. Liquid fuels derived from cellulosic biomass offer an important alternative to conventional energy sources to reduce Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels. Trees are attractive dedicated energy crops because they display a wide range of growth habits and can be grown on marginal lands unsuited to other agricultural crops including energy grasses, with reduced input costs and optimised land management. ENERGYPOPLAR is designed to develop domesticated energy poplars having both desirable cell-wall traits and high biomass yield under sustainable low-input conditions to be used as a source of lignocellulosic feedstock for bioethanol. ENERGYPOPLAR will (i) Provide a better understanding of fundamental mechanisms determining optimised yield in Populus (ii) Understand mechanisms that regulate the synthesis of cell wall polysaccharides (iii) Provide a better understanding of lignocellulosic quality and in a particular the genetic and genomic basis of ‘high cellulose’ trees linked to alterations in the quality and quantity of lignin (iv) Develop high thoughput assays for lignocellulosic quality and lignocellulose saccharification potential (v) Establish a platform for rapid genes discovery and testing using systems biology approaches to identify novel transcripts for traits of interest (vi) Develop a delivery pipeline for improved genotypes for ENERGYPOPLAR trees, with traits of interest and begin the process of commercialisation (vii) Establish a tool for environmental sustainability assessments of SRC Populus growing systems (viii) Disseminate the results and transfer technology to the energy industry, land-based sector and to appropriate policy makers'

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Biomass represents an important alternative to fossil fuels. Trees such as the poplar are particularly attractive as dedicated energy crops because they can be grown on marginal lands and have desirable growth characteristics.

Through the 'Enhancing poplar traits for energy applications' (ENERGYPOPLAR) project, EU-funded science has uncovered various genetic processes involved in the growth, yield and structure of the poplar tree. Researchers were looking specifically at the mechanisms responsible for cellulose production because a higher cellulose content results in more efficient biofuel. But plant material is also made up of a harder substance known as lignin, so the scientists simultaneously looked at ways to reduce lignin production.

Among a long list of significant findings, they were able to identify several genes potentially involved in the growth of roots and stems as well as in lignin production. The team also developed ways to measure lignin and cellulose. Naturally occurring low-lignin gene mutants were found as well, which opens up new avenues for breeding low-lignin cultivars without genetic engineering.

Along with the genetic work on the poplars, researchers assessed the environmental and economic sustainability of the tree under various scenarios. One focus here was on identifying varieties that use water more efficiently.

The ENERGYPOPLAR project applied a holistic biological approach to optimise the yield, composition and cell wall structure of the poplar tree for efficient biofuel production. It also developed new varieties with enhanced growth traits under low-input environments. These advances are important since biofuel is set to become a vital part of the EU's climate change mitigation strategy.