Agave tequilana uses crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as a photosynthetic adaptation to water-limited environments, with great potential for sustainable production of biofuels due to high water-use efficiency (WUE), high biomass yield, low lignin content, and high cellulose and sugar contents. The goal of this research is to generate high-quality genome assembly and gene annotation for A. tequilana. This project facilitates the engineering of CAM into non-CAM crops to enhance biomass production in dryland areas, relevant to DOE’s mission on the development of plant feedstocks for bioenergy.
Proposer: Xiaohan Yang, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Proposal: High quality genome sequencing of Agave tequilana, a bioenergy crop with high drought tolerance and low biomass recalcitrance