Basiese Inligting

Fast growing tree species like poplar and willow have great potential as a biomass source for the production of lignocellulosic ethanol, a second generation biofuel. The conversion to ethanol is very difficult due to the presence of lignin in wood. Lignin physically interferes with the enzymatic breakdown of cellulose to glucose, which is the first step in the conversion. Already a number of years ago researchers at VIB-UGent made poplar trees with alterations in the lignin biosynthesis. Certain genes in this biosynthesis were downregulated resulting in trees with a 20% lower amount of lignin. Experiments with wood produced in a greenhouse showed that this wood produces 50% more ethanol than ordinary poplar wood. In a greenhouse, egter, trees are not subject to seasons, storms and other stresses, nor do they root in a normal soil. This is why field trials are necessary to find out whether the poplar trees are able to produce wood that is more easily converted to bio-ethanol also under real life conditions.

 

Stage of Development

Greenhouse and confined field trials.

 

Redes vir Block / Delay

A field trial application was submitted in the autumn of 2007 to start a field trial in 2008. This application was refused in May 2008 by the federal Belgian authorities, based on three arguments: (1) the application was incomplete, (2) the trees contained the HPT antibiotic resistance marker, en (3) there were negative public comments on the production of biofuels. All three arguments were later dismissed by the Council of State: if the application had been incomplete, die owerhede nie die aansoek proses begin het (die aansoek was geldig en volledig beoordeel), die HPT gene is goedgekeur vir gebruik in die veld proe deur beide die Belgiese Adviesraad vir Bioveiligheid en EFSA, en die algemene publiek kommentaar wat nie oor die veiligheid kan nie gebruik word om 'n afsonderlike verhoor aansoek te weier. Die Raad van State opgeskort die weiering en na 'n paar onderhandelings VIB daarin geslaag om die verkryging van 'n permit vir die veld verhoor in die begin van 2009. Die veld verhoor begin Mei 2009 met 'n vertraging van een jaar.

 

Foregone Benefits

Wetenskaplike navorsing is 'n baie internasionale onderneming met strawwe kompetisie. Een jaar van die vertraging kan beteken dat die ander inhaal of neem 'n leidende posisie, Dit beteken dat jy sal nie langer in staat wees om 'n hoë impak wetenskaplike papier te produseer. Dit kan 'n negatiewe impak op die instituut se telling in evaluerings het, wat druk op toekomstige befondsing kan sit. In hierdie spesifieke geval ook waardevolle belastingbetaler se geld is verloor weens onnodige ekstra regulerende aktiwiteite en prokureur se koste te berei en verdedig 'n saak by die Raad van State (tienduisende euro).

 

Cost of Research

Oor die jare het etlike miljoene euro is belê in die populier navorsing program.

 

Verwysing na publikasie

VIB Webwerf www.vib.be/poplar
Birch H. (2009) GM populiere langs groei. Nature Biotechnology 27: 107
Custers R. (2009) Eerste GM verhoor in België sedert 2002. Nature Biotechnology 27: p.506

 

Hoofnavorser

Prof. Dr. Wout Boerjan, VIB Departement Plant Systems Biologie en UGent Departement Plantbiotegnologie en genetika

Kontak Inligting

Rene.custers@vib.be

Wout.boerjan@psb.vib-ugent.be