Australian researchers have developed transgenic sweet sorghum – it would make for a very efficient biofuel, it is hoped.
Australian researchers have developed transgenic sweet sorghum – it would make for a very efficient biofuel, it is hoped.
Dr Anshu Raghuwanshi, a Research Fellow in University of Queensland's School of Biological Sciences, said sorghum had advantages as a biofuel crop, but until now, tissue culture steps in the gene transfer process had proven difficult, despite international efforts in recent years.Dr Raghuwanshi leads a research team that developed the gene transfer system for sweet sorghum, within an industry-collaborative R&D program led by UQ's Professor Robert Birch.
"Sweet sorghum is a promising biofuel crop with potential for cultivation on marginal lands due to relatively high drought tolerance, low water requirement, short growing season and easy propagation by seed," Dr Raghuwanshi said.
"The ability to use gene transfer to help produce improved varieties has significant commercial and industrial potential."
World's Carbon Emissions can be Soaked Up by "Artificial Trees"
A forest of 100,000 artificial trees could be deployed within 10 to 20 years to help soak up the world's carbon emissions
A forest of 100,000 artificial trees could be deployed within 10 to 20 years to help soak up the world's carbon emissions
"I expect it to be a part of the sustainable ‘green carbon' economy on a global scale into the future," Professor Birch said.
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Converting Trash into Biofuel may Cut CO2 Emissions by 80 Percent
Scientists in Singapore and Switzerland have suggested that converting the trash that fills the world's landfills into biofuel could cut global carbon emissions by 80 percent.
Scientists in Singapore and Switzerland have suggested that converting the trash that fills the world's landfills into biofuel could cut global carbon emissions by 80 percent.
Sorghum was highly complementary to sugarcane in the expanding global need for renewable biofuel systems, Dr Raghuwanshi said.
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India Blames the West for the Burgeoning Food Crisis
India has blamed the current worldwide food crisis on diversion of grains to production of bio-fuels and the World Bank’s own pressure on developing countries to shift from food crops to cash.
India has blamed the current worldwide food crisis on diversion of grains to production of bio-fuels and the World Bank’s own pressure on developing countries to shift from food crops to cash.
Source-Medindia
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