Electron and Helium Ion Imaging of Arabidopsis Affected by Genetic Mutation and Thermochemical Treatment for Biofuel Applications

Lignocellulosic biomass holds unlocked potential as biofuel feedstock. By enzymatic digestion or by pyrolysis, the biopolymers that compose plant cell walls are converted into liquid biofuels at the industrial scale. One strategy to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of these conversion processes is the use of genetically modified plants that produce biomass that is more amenable catalytic deconstruction. Lignin is a polymer found within plant cell walls that provides structural support and microbial defense, and has been shown to impede enzymatic conversion processes. In this study, we examined several Arabidopsis thaliana genetic variants that produce lignin polymers with different content and composition. Samples were characterized by enzymatic saccharification, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), contact resonance force microscopy (CRFM), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and helium ion microscopy (HIM).[1]