Transgenic perennial biofuel feedstocks and strategies for bioconfinement
نویسندگان
چکیده
163 10.4155/BFS.09.11 © 2010 Future Science Ltd Limitations in the current availability of bioenergy feedstocks are a major problem in next-generation biofuels. There are global economic, political and environmental pressures to increase biofuel production and utilization, to offset gasoline and diesel fuel use, especially in the transportation sector. Many countries, such as the USA and China, have issued increasingly aggressive targets for renewable energy over time; these will certainly require new dedicated feedstocks and fuel platforms [1,2]. Current strategies for liquid fuel production are focused on using ethanol as a gasoline additive and offset, which utilize fermentation of plant-produced starches and sugars, mostly from maize grain and sugar cane, to produce ethanol. It is doubtful whether sufficient amounts of these feedstocks can be supplied without impacting the agricultural sector and harming the environment. It is necessary to develop biofuels produced from dedicated nonfood cellulosic feedstocks that can be produced on land currently unutilized for food production. While most national and international regulatory agencies do not make distinctions based on end use, whether as food, fiber, timber, medicine or any other type of feedstock, the perennial nature of biofuel feedstocks and expediency of current needs requires special attention. In fact, there are several commercially available first-generation transgenic biofuel feedstocks, including maize grown for ethanol and canola/rapeseed grown for biodiesel, that are cultivated internationally on a multimillion hectare scale. In both cases, these crops can also be used for food and feed; these are annual crops. Meeting the goals of the US Department of Energy (DOE) billion ton annual supply of biomass translates into 5% of the nation’s power, 20% of the nation’s transportation fuels and 25% of the nation’s chemicals Biofuels (2010) 1(1), 163–176 Transgenic perennial biofuel feedstocks and strategies for bioconfinement
منابع مشابه
Transgenic switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) targeted for reduced recalcitrance to bioconversion: a 2‐year comparative analysis of field‐grown lines modified for target gene or genetic element expression
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