Biotech Updates

EU Grants Fund for Research of Underutilized Plants

March 20, 2013

The European Union (EU) granted €9 ($12.1) million for a 5-year project aimed at producing drought-resistant plants for biofuel and bioproducts. The initiative, part of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme, will focus on underutilized non-food crops, including poplar, and two perennial grasses— miscanthus and the giant reed Arundo— chosen for their rapid growth and potential in bioenergy and biomass production. The multinational consortium involving 14 academic partners and 7 small and medium-sized enterprises will identify traits and genes related to water use efficiency in the target species.

For more information, see EuropaBio's news release at http://www.europabio.org/sites/default/files/water_stress_survivors.pdf.