Center Aims at Unraveling Mysteries of Plant Cellulose

Summary posted by Meridian on 5/29/2009
Source: Penn State University
Author: n/a

Researchers at Penn State University, United States, are looking at unlocking the mysteries of lignocellulose synthesis and assembly, or how cellulose cells assemble in such a way that the form a chemical barrier to weather, insects, and other organisms, as a way to understand how our civilization can produce food, fuel, and fiber more efficiently and sustainably. Penn State's new Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation has received substantial resources from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and from a U.S. Department of Energy grant, to aid their study of the molecular biology of cellulose, and improve methods for converting plant biomass into fuel. According to Jeffrey Catchmark, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering and co-director of the Center, "[C]ellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. More wood is used than all other materials, except those mined like the ingredients in concrete. If we could more efficiently use this fiber, it would have huge impacts. The question is, how can we better use the cellulose that we get from plants? We believe we can answer the basic questions that to date no one has been able to answer. We need to learn how cellulose is produced and how the biopolymers are assembled. If we know that, we think we can develop processes to disassemble it." Converting biomass into fuel requires the disassembling of plant walls, so understanding the processes involved is crucial to improving methods of conversion. Nicole Brown, associate professor of wood chemistry, adds "[U]nderstanding these complex materials — specifically how proteins work to assemble the biopolymers -- is key to efficient utilization and technological breakthroughs. Furthering our understanding of renewable material synthesis and coupling this to nanotechnology is paramount to engineering composites and other value-added materials for the 21st century." The article can be viewed online at the link below.

The original article may still be available at live.psu.edu/story/39977

As tagged by Meridian Institute:

Energy: Energy, Biofuel, Climate Change
Implications: Human Enhancement, Governance
Materials And Manufacturing: Fiber
Regions: North America
Stakeholders: Government, Academia
Food And Agriculture: Crops

Related Forums:

• Materials and Manufacturing
• Food and Agriculture
• Governance

print format