The Institute of Botany of the China Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Singapore-based Temasek Life Science Laboratory (TLL) (affiliated with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University), have recently agreed on a joint research collaboration to develop improved bioenergy crops using molecular biology techniques. The joint research will focus on the improvement of sweet sorghum and yam for biofuel applications. Among the crop improvements being eyed is increasing the energy content of the target feedstocks. Under the agreement, a Beijing-based laboratory for sweet sorghum will be established, and will be headed by Professor Zhong Khang, the deputy director of the CAS. The laboratory is envisioned to conduct “interdisciplinary studies in photosynthesis, biochemistry, molecular biology and ecophysiology”..