Courtesy of Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The poplar, "Stumpy," has been domesticated for biomass production in the same way corn and other crops have been bred for increased yield. Advanced biotechnology can reduce stem length to make the trunk shorter and thicker, reduce the number of branches and leaves, increase growth rate, improve adaptation to hostile climates, reduce negative response to competition, increase carbon sequestration, and improve the partitioning of biomass into components more favorable for subsequent conversion.
The completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) symbolizes the entry of biology into the "big science" arena. What constitutes big science may be in the eye of the beholder, but the term generally means using high technology on a large scale and mobilizing substantial teams to tackle problems in a highly organized and structured way. This is an exciting time and there is much talk, mostly justified, that this new century ...
