The existing biofuels industry has arisen through major advances in process engineering and enzyme biotechnology, which have resulted in substantial improvements in energy efficiency and cost reduction. However, a new paradigm will be required to reach the current targets that are being mandated by an increasing number of countries for replacing a significant portion of petroleum use with biomass derived biofuels, and to maintain a long-term sustainable source of transportation fuels. The scale of biomass production will necessitate the creation of new, unprecedented agricultural cropping systems and the coordinated involvement of plant scientists from a range of disciplines, addressing numerous basic and applied research challenges. This review summarizes some of the plant research initiatives that are already underway to address the increased need for sustainable biomass production from both a biotechnological standpoint as well as from a molecular breeding and development perspective.
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