UGA Scientists Map Biofuel Crop's Genome

Scientists at the University of Georgia (UGA) mapped the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass that could be used as a source of ethanol and bienergy. UGA scientist Changsoo Kim identified a set of about 600 bits of Miscanthus DNA that can serve as diagnostic tools. The next plan is to determine which of these pieces of DNA could be used to improve Miscanthus as a biofuel crop.

"What we are doing right now is taking the same individual plants that were used in the genetic map and measuring their height, flowering time, the size of their stalks, the dimensions of their leaves and how far they have spread from where they were planted," said Andrew Paterson, one of the researchers of the study. "And then one can use pretty straightforward statistics to look for correlations between bits of DNA and a trait."

For more details, visit http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/grass-to-gas-uga-researchers/.