New genetically engineered wood can store carbon

New genetically engineered wood can store carbon

Friday 20 Sep 2024

Researchers at the University of Maryland genetically modified poplar trees to produce high-performance, structural wood without the use of chemicals or energy intensive processing. Made from traditional wood, engineered wood is often seen as a renewable replacement for traditional building materials like steel, cement, glass and plastic. It also has the potential to store carbon for a longer time than traditional wood because it can resist deterioration, making it useful in efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

But the hurdle to true sustainability in engineered wood is that it requires processing with volatile chemicals and a significant amount of energy, and produces considerable waste. The researchers edited one gene in live poplar trees, which then grew wood ready for engineering without processing.

The research was published online on August 12, 2024, in the Journal Matter.

“We are very excited to demonstrate an innovative approach that combines genetic engineering and wood engineering, to sustainably sequester and store carbon in a resilient super wood form, said Yiping Qi, a professor in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at UMD and a corresponding author of the study, “Carbon sequestration is critical in our fight against climate change, and such engineered wood may find many uses in the future bioeconomy.”

Before wood can be treated to impart structural properties such as increased strength or UV resistance, which allows it to be substituted for steel or concrete, it must be stripped of one of its main components, called lignin.

Previously, UMD researchers successfully developed methods for removing lignin using various chemicals, and others have explored the use of enzymes and microwave technology. With this new research, Qi and his colleagues sought to develop a method that does not rely on chemicals, produce chemical wastes or rely on large amounts of energy.

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Source & image credit: University of Maryland

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