University of Wisconsin Researcher Engineers Softwoods for Easier Pulp Processing

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin have proven the potential of softwoods to be processed easier into pulp and paper when given a specific characteristic of hardwoods.

Lignin, the substance that gives plants sturdiness, is derived from G- and S-monomers, with S-monomers producing an easily degradable lignin. Hardwoods possess both G- and S-monomers while softwoods only have G-monomers, making them harder to process. However, their long fibers are suitable for paper products and their sugars easily convert to ethanol.

Researchers transformed cells of softwood pines using genes of two enzymes known to produce flowering plants. The resulting cells were capable of making the S-monomers in their cell walls. With this, researchers will next attempt to modify actual softwood plants.

"What we've shown is that it's possible to pair some of the most economically desirable traits of each wood type," says John Ralph, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center's (GLBRC) plants leader and a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of biochemistry.