The overall aim of the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC) is to conduct world-class scientific research to underpin sustainable bioenergy production and, particularly, greater availability of substitutes for the transport sector. BSBEC-BioMASS is the perennial bioenergy crops research hub of BSBEC. Its’ role is to optimise biomass from Miscanthus and willow, whilst maximising energy savings and minimising GHG emissions. BSBEC-BioMASS will focus on:
- Optimising biomass yield: We will investigate ways of capturing more energy by developing leaf canopies earlier and extending the growing season and by improving light capture by the canopy. We will also investigate how carbon is partitioned into different parts of the plant e.g. shoots, roots, organs, tissues, cells and cell walls.
- Optimising the biomass composition: We are concerned with improving the accessibility of carbon in cell walls for processing to biofuels. We will improve our understanding of biomass composition, how it varies naturally in Miscanthus and willow and how this variation influences the processibility of the biomass. We will also use gene discovery techniques to identify genes that affect cell wall composition and accessibility of the carbon.