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Agricultural News


OSU Research shows why switchgrass is good for biomass production

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 9:47:01 CDT

OSU Research shows why switchgrass is good for biomass production There are several reasons for which switchgrass has been chosen as a source of biofuel production in the United States. It can grow on wastelands and tolerate drought and extreme heat, to name a few.


Raman Sunkar, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Oklahoma State University, and his team of researchers are starting to answer several questions about the role of microRNAs in the biomass production and adaptation to stress conditions of switchgrass.


Funding for this research is provided by Oklahoma's National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR).


"Proteins are the building blocks of all living cells," Sunkar said. "The type of cell, its function and the timing of its death are determined by which proteins are produced in the cell, and at what quantities and time they are produced. However, the proteins are the end product of a complex process, which begins with the genetic code present in DNA."


The relevant parts of the DNA are copied into a messenger RNA, which holds a code with instructions on how to build a specific protein. The microRNA regulates the number of protein molecules produced by the messenger RNA molecule.


"The silencing of microRNA target genes at appropriate places and times allows the plant to grow normally," Sunkar said. "Otherwise, plant growth and development would be severely affected. Along the same lines, microRNA-controlled regulation of gene expression is necessary for adapting to drought, heat or lack of nutrients such as phosphate and sulfate."


By cataloging the microRNAs in switchgrass in great detail, Sunkar has identified 260 microRNAs belonging to 45 different families and 12 new microRNAs that are absent in different plant species.


"Our work is revealing the complexity of microRNA guided gene regulations operating in switching, and laying the foundation for future functional genomics research on switchgrass," he said.


The scientists will continue to investigate whether microRNAs play a role in drought or heat stress tolerance of switchgrass. And if so, which ones?


"We hope to identify key factors important for biomass accumulation and stress tolerance that are controlled by microRNA-guided posttranscriptional gene regulation," Sunkar said. "Educating the public, as well as prospective scientists in this important area of research, will further strengthen our already established prominence in biofuels research."


Sunkar's lab has received three grants from the USDA, two of which are ongoing. He is also receiving research grants from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, the Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center, and the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Team Initiative Proposal.



   

 

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