Switchgrass Research Improves Biofuel Yields

Researchers at the Oak Ridge Laboratory in Tennessee have produced a variety of switchgrass that they say results in 38 percent more biofuel with lower pretreatment costs. By manipulating lignin, a compound that stiffens plants, the researchers were able to create a modified switchgrass that required 4 to 5 times less cellulase, an enzyme used to break down fiber. The scientists believe the new variety may help with newly emerging biofuels such as butanol, isobutene, and “green gasoline,” made from the cellulose in plants. Read more...