Access Project Data on Poplar Genome Browser for P. trichocarpa v3.0 (210)

Jaiswal lab at the Oregon State University is excited to share a good news on it’s new Poplar Interactome project. According to the press release by the Plant Feedstocks Genomics for Bioenergy research program of the USDA and DOE, the project was awarded funding from US Department of Energy (DOE). The project is lead by Pankaj Jaiswal and Palitha Dharmawardhana from our group at Oregon State University and Amy Brunner and Eric Beer of Virginia Tech.

In the project we will develop an interaction map of poplar genes and experimentally identify a set of candidate genes which interact to produce abiotic stress response. This will be accomplished through a combination of computational analysis of known and predicted novel interactions based on gene expression analysis, and validation from Yeast two hybrid gene-to-gene interaction experiments.

To enhance the application value of our experimental research we have partnered with GreenWood Resources, Inc from Portland, Oregon, to use poplar clones that are already selected for marginal land use.

The feedstock plant poplar has many advantages over corn as a biofuel feedstock. Not only poplar needs low energy input and off season storage as compared to feedstocks such as corn. In the winter season Poplar biomass is stored on the stem/trunk, and poplar plantations serve as large carbon sink. A key constraint to the expansion of cellulosic bioenergy sources such as in poplar however, is the negative consequence of converting land use from food crops to energy crops. Therefore in order for poplar to become a viable energy crop it needs to be grown mostly on marginal land unsuitable agricultural crops. By understanding the abiotic stress response in poplar we expect to contribute towards identifying abiotic stress resistance genes/alleles for the poplar breeding programs.

Ref:
View Project Abstract
DOE-USDA press release
News article in the Gazette Times Corvallis
Sustainable Business Oregon