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Reference Number BBS/E/W/00003134B
Title Carbohydrate metabolism and resource allocation in grasses
Status Completed
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy) 50%;
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Production of transport biofuels (incl. Production from wastes)) 50%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields BIOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (Biological Sciences) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr IS (Iain ) Donnison
No email address given
IBERS
Aberystwyth University
Award Type Institute Project
Funding Source BBSRC
Start Date 01 April 2008
End Date 31 March 2012
Duration 108 months
Total Grant Value £1,040,000
Industrial Sectors Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Region Wales
Programme
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr IS (Iain ) Donnison , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (99.999%)
  Other Investigator Dr J Gallagher , IBERS, Aberystwyth University (0.001%)
Web Site
Objectives Objectives not supplied
Abstract Carbohydrate metabolism plays a central role in the provision of substrates for bioenergy and biorenewables. The concentrations of readily fermentable carbohydrates in grasses are highly significant as a determinant for biofuel production. Further understanding of the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in grasses is required for future plant breeding of energy grasses and to optimise the harvesting, storage and processing of biomass for efficient recovery of bioenergy/ natural products. Key objectives in this work are an understanding of (1) plant carbon partitioning/accumulation, at whole plant, tissue and sub-cellular levels, with emphasis on starch and sucrose in Miscanthus and on fructan, starch and sucrose in Lolium; and (2) expression of candidate genes and their association with QTL for non-structural carbohydrates. This work supports and integrates with studies on the identification of QTL for sugar metabolism (initially on Lolium, and later extended to Miscanthus) and the validation of QTL by marker-based test crosses. Transformation will be used to test gene function; candidate genes will be mapped and related to QTL on the Lolium and Miscanthus genetic maps.
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 30/09/13