Grass species have a tremendous potential to be engineered to generate biofuels that can feed our economy. A major challenge has been accessing the energy stored in plants. Purple false brome (Brachypodium distachyon), a wild grass species from the Mediterranean region, is a perfect model for testing novel ways of changing plants to help produce biofuels. In this study, researchers are accessing variation in this species to identify genes that could transform bioenergy crops. These resources are openly shared with the scientific community in order to speed up research and transform society.
Proposer: Daniel Woods, University of California, Davis
Proposal: Genetic tools in Brachypodium distachyon to identify genes regulating bioenergy relevant traits in grasses