4-06: Discovery of Switchgrass Genes through Genomics to Improve Biomass Composition and Conversion

The ability to manipulate the relative proportions of cell wall components is critical to improving a bioenergy crop like switchgrass.  An essential step towards this goal is to understand the genetic components involved in cell wall biosynthesis.  To address this problem, we are using genomics tools to discover and select genes from switchgrass.  We are using two parallel approaches in the selection process: (1) identification of differentially expressed genes through gene expression analysis utilizing GRASS chip technology, and (2) misexpression analysis in Arabidopsis to evaluate the potential effects of identified genes on cell wall composition & conversion and on biomass accumulation.  In this poster, we will present preliminary data to demonstrate the effectiveness of our selection efforts to identify candidate genes that can be used to transform and manipulate switchgrass to improve conversion efficiency to biofuels.

This research is supported by the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant No. 68-3A75-7-601