The Power in Plants

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Pumping ethanol from corn in 1933

Plants store solar energy through photosynthesis in cellulose and lignin cells. This biomass energy stored in plants and trees can be converted into liquid fuels such as ethanol, methanol, and biodiesel. In fact, Henry Ford originally planned for his cars to run on ethanol. The challenge in releasing biomass energy lies in efficient conversion—creating more energy than the input required to produce it.

DNA sequence information will enable the functional analysis of plant genetics and microbes capable of degrading lignin and cellulose for efficient conversion of biomass to fuels. These advancements could reduce U.S. dependency on gasoline produced from imported oil while reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions to counter climate change. With DNA sequence used to enhance crop and ethanol yields, bioenergy crop production from only 39 million acres could replace all projected 2020 oil imports from the Persian Gulf that are used for gasoline production.

 

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