Engineering lignin biosynthesis and structure
Our goal is to improve the processing efficiency of plant biomass into fermentable sugars and aromatic building blocks in the biorefinery. As lignin is the most important recalcitrance factor, we focus on understanding the biosynthesis, polymerization, structure and engineering of lignin. Arabidopsis, maize and poplar are used as a model crops. Field trials are made to investigate the improved traits in a relevant environment.
Keywords
Lignin biosynthesis, structure and engineering / forest tree biotechnology / metabolomics / metabolic pathway discovery / aromatic metabolism / poplar / bioenergy / field trials