Duke University biofuel laboratory suggests GM grasses as source of power

Duke University's Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy has been acting as a biofuel laboratory recently as its researchers consider ways of accelerating the time-to-harvest of grass crops.

The institute's regular activities aim to unlock the potential of genomic research, which it says places scientists and the public "at a new threshold leading to deeper understanding and enhancement of the human experience".

Most recently, it has become a biofuel laboratory as the researchers turned their attention to a single gene capable of leading to more rapidly established root systems in grasses.

The gene, named UPBEAT1, controls the rate of root growth and its disruption leads to more robust roots being established in less time.

In turn, this can make it faster to reach the first usable harvest of biomass crops including miscanthus and switchgrass.

Philip Benfey, director of the institute's Center for Systems Biology, says: "These biofuel crops usually can't be harvested until the second or third year."