Engineering plants to replace fossil carbon

Abstract

Reduction in carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels can be addressed by engineering plants to become a renewable resource to replace fossil carbon. Plant-based production of fuels and chemicals needs to be sustainable and cost competitive. The most abundant source of renewable carbon is lignocellulosic plant biomass. Conversion of this biomass to end products currently generates low yields due to the recalcitrance of lignified biomass. Improved processing technologies have contributed to making this economically feasible but widespread adoption of lignocellulose as a replacement for fossil carbon will require genetically improved plants with a biomass composition that facilitates processing. Large-scale production requires concentrated efforts on species delivering the highest biomass yields. Recent advances in biomass pre-treatment have delivered more cost-effective processing. Developments in the genomics of key biomass species and the availability of advanced spatial omics and gene editing now promise to provide pathways to engineer plant biomass to become a better raw material for these processes and drive rapid adoption.