A central goal of the DOE Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program and current JGI sequencing efforts is to improve our understanding of candidate plant species to advance their use as bioenergy feedstocks. Juenger and colleagues have developed mutant population resources in Panicum hallii to help in the discovery of new genes and pathways important for feedstocks in forward screens, as well as a valuable testing platform for reverse genetic studies of known genes. These knowledge will facilitate our ability to manipulate and improve switchgrass for feedstock production.
Proposer: Tom Juenger, University of Texas at Austin
Proposal: Resequencing a fast-neutron mutant population of a C4 perennial grass (Panicum hallii)