Genetically engineered poplars can make a modified polymer in their wood that breaks down more easily than natural forms. Such trees could one day be sources of biofuels.
Current methods for digesting the tough, resistant polymer called lignin involve concentrated chemicals at high temperatures. John Ralph at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his colleagues inserted a gene into poplar trees (Populus spp.) that produces a molecule that is incorporated in the lignin polymer chain. The molecule forms an ester chemical bond in the growing chain, which can be broken down by mild chemicals at lower temperatures, aiding bioethanol production later.
The modified poplars produce normal amounts of lignin and seem to be healthy, but they have not yet been tested in the field.
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Altered trees make digestible wood. Nature 508, 153 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/508153c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/508153c
