EVOLTREE webinar series #4 - Genetic engineering of lignin in trees to improve biomass processing
Webinar #4 - 29 November 2023 (16:30-18.00 CET)
The fourth webinar of the Evoltree "New technologies for evolution & genetics" webinar series will be presented by Prof. Wout Boerjan with the title “Genetic engineering of lignin in trees to improve biomass processing".
Prof. Boerjan leads the Bioenergy and Bio-aromatics group at VIB and Ghent University, Belgium. His research seeks to advance the ways in which lignocellulosic plant biomass can serve as a renewable and potentially carbon-neutral raw material for the production of pulp, bioenergy, and other bio-based products. The major long-term goal is to engineer plant cell wall composition for a more cost-effective conversion of plant biomass into fermentable sugars or aromatic building blocks, without adversely affecting plant yield. As lignin needs to be depolymerized for both purposes, the group focuses on understanding the biosynthesis, polymerization, and structure of lignin. Arabidopsis, maize, and poplar are used as model species for gene discovery. Potential applications are investigated by genetic engineering and CRISPR/Cas9 based gene editing to tailor biomass composition in maize and poplar and by evaluating the improved biomass traits in field trials.
