Monday, April 30, 2012
Napoleon Ballroom C-D, 3rd fl (Sheraton New Orleans)
Recent focus on understanding the recalcitrant nature of biomass has resulted in exploring feedstocks that have been genetically modified for biofuel production. Down regulation of genes controlling enzymes present in the lignin biosynthetic pathway have been shown to lower recalcitrance in biomass. The effects of modifying lignin composition or structure to improve ethanol yields from lignocellulosic material are not fully understood. Lignin and S/G ratio were estimated for several transgenic and natural populations using Pyrolysis Molecular Beam Mass Spectroscopy in this study. Biomass recalcitrance was based on glucose and xylose release, which was determined using a high throughput sugar release assay developed by the BioEnergy Science Center. These results highlight differences in the correlation between lignin composition and biomass recalcitrance for transgenic and natural populations.