Biologists believe they are one step closer to a long-held goal of making a cheap, widely available plant a source for energy and fuel, meaning one of the next big weapons in the battle against climate change may be able to trace its roots to the side of a Texas highway.
Biologists believe they are one step closer to a long-held goal of making a cheap, widely available plant a source for energy and fuel, meaning one of the next big weapons in the battle against climate change may be able to trace its roots to the side of a Texas highway.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and other institutions have published a complex genome analysis of switchgrass, a promising biofuel crop.
The team tied different genes to better performance in varying climates across North America, which now gives scientists a road map for breeding high-yielding switchgrass paired to current and future climate conditions across the United States. Optimizing switchgrass to grow efficiently in many diverse environments is a key component of ensuring its success as a biofuel feedstock.
Read more at: University of Texas at Austin
Scientists' new complex genome analysis of switchgrass could be a game-changer for use of the cheap, widely available plant as a source of biofuel. Shown here is lowland switchgrass ready for harvest in Overton, Texas. (Photo Credit: Jason Bonnette, The University of Texas at Austin)
