Genetic Engineering Holds Promise for Affordable Biomass

摘要

In recent years, genetic engineering has been used to produce tastier tomatoes, virus-resistant squash, and cotton plants that can kill insects. Now, with support from EPRI and others, this relatively new realm of science could also help make biomass—in the form of poplar trees—an affordable power plant fuel. Funded by EPRI, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of pulp and paper companies, researchers at Oregon State University are genetically engineering poplar trees to increase yields and reduce the costs associated with biomass production.