The BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre (BSBEC): Perennial Bioenergy Crops Programme

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The need to reduce fossil fuel contributions to climate change is the most significant and pressing challenge of this century. The mission of the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Centre is to provide the underpinning research to help develop economically, socially and environmentally sustainable lignocellulose derived fuels which have a positive impact on climate change and energy security.
The overall aim of the Perennial Bioenergy Crops Programme within BSBEC is to underpin the development of sustainable biofuels by optimising biomass feedstocks from perennial (non-food) biomass crops whilst maximising energy savings and minimising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Programme has scientific, integrational and capacity building specific objectives and, together with the other five Programmes that comprise the BSBEC, aims to bring focus and leadership to the UK's development of the biology and biotechnology that will generate transport fuel from the ligno-cellulosic fraction in plants.
Specific objectives are:
1.Scientific objectives: To optimise: (1) Biomass yield in short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and Miscanthus; and (2) The accessibility of the carbon for conversion in these two crops, whilst maximising energy savings and minimising GHG emissions.
2.Integrational objectives: To integrate fundamental genomic, crop, plant, microbial, biochemical and bioprocessing sciences by linking with other programmes in the BBSRC Sustainable Bioenergy Research Centre, and scientific community, as appropriate
3.Capacity building objectives: To train a new generation of scientists in the necessary R&D skills and build capability and capacity in bioenergy research.

unavailable