Genome-edited trees for high-performance engineered wood

Abstract

Replacing conventional structural materials with high-performance engineered wood can reduce CO₂ emissions and enhance carbon sequestration. Traditional methods involve energy-intensive chemical treatments to reduce lignin content, resulting in denser, mechanically superior wood but raising sustainability concerns. This work introduces a genome-editing approach to reduce lignin in trees, enabling chemical-free processing of advanced engineered wood. Using the cytosine base editor nCas9-A3A/Y130F, the 4CL1 gene in poplar wood was targeted, achieving a 12.8% lignin reduction. This facilitated waste-free densified wood production through water immersion and hot pressing, yielding a tensile strength of 313.6 ± 6.4 MPa, comparable to aluminum alloy 6061. The strength of densified 4CL1 knockout wood closely matched that of traditionally treated wood (320.2 ± 3.5 MPa), demonstrating the effectiveness of genetic modification in creating sustainable, high-performance engineered wood and contributing to reduced CO₂ emissions and environmental conservation.