Virginia Tech researchers receive $1.2 million to study poplar tree as model biomass crop

Virginia Tech researchers have received US$1.2 million to study protein-protein interactions associated with biomass production in poplar wood. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly selected the Virginia Tech project and 10 others for awards totaling $8.3 million for biofuel research that may increase the availability and use of alternative fuels (earlier post).

The poplar is the first tree to have had its entire genome sequenced (previous post), the combined effort of 34 institutions from around the world, including the University of British Columbia, and Genome Canada; Umeå Plant Science Centre, Sweden; and Ghent University, Belgium (home of Marc Van Montagu, the father of modern genetic engineering). The project was led by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) which sequences a wide range of energy crops (and recently announced its 2008 agenda).

Poplar is seen as a model biomass crop because it can be tailored to yield specific materials for the production of green chemicals and fuels (image, click to enlarge). The tree may become part of the 'third generation' of biofuels, which are based on energy crops that have been manipulated in such a way that their properties allow more efficient bioconversion into a predetermined product.

Drawing on the genomics info, the Virginia Tech researchers will aim to improve biomass productivity of the poplar by looking at its protein interactions.

If we can identify the protein-protein interaction networks associated with its woody tissues, it will give us a more detailed understanding of how plants produce their biomass – their genomics and the molecular biology of biomass production. This will ultimately contribute to strategies for improving biomass crops. - Eric Beers, principal investigator, Associate Professor of Horticulture in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Proteins are the molecular machines required for the production of plant cell walls. To function, proteins must interact with other proteins, but researchers know little about the protein-protein interactions that occur during the process of wood formation:
bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: poplar :: genomics :: molecular biology ::

This is basic research that could conceivably make the use of poplar wood as a biomass crop more amenable to large-scale production and economically feasible.

Amy Brunner, associate professor of forestry in the College of Natural Resources, will use her expertise in poplar genomics to study a subset of the protein interactions directly in poplar trees and to incorporate results with what scientists know about gene expression and gene function within poplar wood. She has already identified approximately 250 poplar genes specifically associated with wood formation that will be the focus of this project. This is known as the poplar biomass gene set.

In addition, Allan Dickerman, assistant professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, will collect data and employ advanced techniques of computational biology to map protein-protein interactions. These maps reveal functional clusters of protein interactions that will give scientists visual clues about the molecular biology of poplar cell wall-related biomass production.

These research projects build upon DOE’s strategic investments in genomics and biotechnology and strengthen our commitment to developing a robust bioenergy future vital to America’s energy and economic security. - U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

In 2006, DOE and USDA began funding fundamental research in biomass genomics to provide a scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuels. New research projects on cordgrass, rice, switchgrass, sorghum, poplar, and perennial grasses join last year’s portfolio of research on poplar, alfalfa, sorghum, and wheat.

Other universities and research centers that received this second round of awards include the University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, Mississippi State University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Delaware, USDA Agricultural Research Service Western Regional Research Center, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Image: desirable traits of the poplar. Courtesy: U.S. Dept. of Energy.

References:
CheckBiotech: Virginia Tech researchers to study poplar tree as model biomass crop - June 26, 2007.

Biopact: Joint Genome Institute announces 2008 genome sequencing targets with focus on bioenergy and carbon cycle - June 12, 2007

Biopact: The first tree genome is published: Poplar holds promise as renewable bioenergy resource - September 14, 2006