Cellulose: new understanding could lead to tailored biofuels

In the search for low emission plant-based fuels, new research may help avoid having to choose between growing crops for food or fuel. By using cellulosic plant materials we get around the problem of food-versus-fuel scenario that is problematic when using corn as a basis for bioethanol - Paul Dupree Scientists have identified new steps in the way plants produce cellulose, the component of plant cell walls that provides strength, and forms insoluble fibre in the human diet. The findings could lead to improved production of cellulose and guide plant breeding for specific uses such as wood products and ethanol fuel, which are sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based products. Published in the journal Nature today, the work was conducted by an international team of scientists, led by the University of Cambridge and the University of Melbourne. "Our research identified several proteins that are essential in the assembly of the protein machinery that makes cellulose", said Melbourne's Prof Staffan Persson. "We found that these assembly factors control how much cellulose is made, and so plants without them can not produce cellulose very well and the defect substantially impairs plant biomass production. The ultimate aim of this research would be breed plants that have altered activity of these proteins so that cellulose production can be improved for the range of applications that use cellulose including paper, timber and ethanol fuels." The newly discovered proteins are located in an intracellular compartment called the Golgi where proteins are sorted and modified.