Multiplex CRISPR-Editing of Wood for Sustainable Production of Biomaterials

Wood is the most abundant carbon biomass on earth and the major source of sustainable green fibers and bioproducts. Globally, 315 gigatons of carbon are stored as wood, representing 57% of the biogenic carbon sink. Despite the importance of wood products, their production has remained largely limited to undomesticated forest trees with often sub-optimal wood properties that hamper production efficiency. Here, we show that strategic multiplex CRISPR-based genome editing of monolignol biosynthesis genes improves wood properties beyond natural variations or the editing of single genes. By assessing every possible combination of multigenic-editing strategies for 21 lignin biosynthesis genes, we deduced unique genome-editing strategies targeting the concurrent alteration of up to 6 genes. CRISPR-editing increased the wood carbohydrate-to-lignin ratio up to 228% of wildtype, leading to more efficient bioprocessing. The edited wood alleviates a major fiber-production bottleneck and could bring unprecedented operational efficiencies, bioeconomic opportunities, and environmental benefits.

講者: Dr. Jack P. Wang (Assistant Professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University, USA)

主持人: Dr. Choun-Sea Lin

時間:2024/05/27 14:00 PM

地點:農業科技大樓1樓A134演講廳