Center To Investigate Plant Cells for Better Biomass Fuels

Scientists at Penn State will apply cutting-edge approaches and methodology to plant cells as part of the newly funded Penn State Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, one of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC).

The DOE plans to fund the center for $21 million over five years. Daniel J. Cosgrove, professor of biology, will direct the center in its efforts to increase our knowledge of the physical structure of the biopolymers in plant cell walls and to improve methods for converting plant biomass into fuel. The funding for this center comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Lignocellulose Center is one of 46 EFRC centers formed nationwide by the DOE to address fundamental issues in fields ranging from solar energy and electric storage to materials sciences, biofuels, and carbon capture and sequestration. Scientists at the center plan to collaborate with researchers at North Carolina State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and Virginia State University.

"The biggest solar collectors on Earth are plants, which use sunlight to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into complex structural materials like cellulose and lignin," said Cosgrove. "These materials make up wood, paper, cotton, and many other everyday products, and they globally represent a huge untapped reserve of biorenewable energy. Our new center will try to pry loose the secrets of how these molecules interact to form these materials that have so many practical uses."

Nanoscale investigations into the physical structure of lignocellulose -- the part of plants composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin -- will reveal the rules and principles behind the plant's manufacture of this bio-polymer. Researchers will be looking for the "rules of assembly" for the plant wall. These rules include cellulose synthesis, lignocellulose assembly, and the relationship between nanoscale structure and macroscale properties including porosity and plant cell wall mechanics.