Image: In research recently published in Nature Biotechnology and led by Debra Mohnen, professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Ajay Biswal, assistant research scientist, a genetic modification of the pectin synthesis pathway was shown to improve plants as a resource for biofuel production and increase biomass yield in both trees and grasses. Modified switchgrass grown in the field for three years had 6-fold increased biomass yield over controls and 7-fold increased biofuel production per plant.
