Scott E Sattler

Research Leader

Research Objectives

1. Determine the effects of six newly identified brown midrib (bmr) mutants on lignin synthesis and the monolignol biosynthetic pathway.
2. Develop transgenic lines over-expressing genes in monolignol biosynthesis to determine their impact on lignin content and composition.
3. Identify strategies for increasing the sugar content of sweet sorghum juice and improve its biomass composition for thermal conversion.
4. Determine the effects of brown midrib (low lignin) mutations alone or in combination on bioenergy conversion via saccharification and fermentation.
5. Develop sorghum lines with novel lignin composition and determine the effects on bioenergy conversion.
6. Develop sweet sorghum germplasm incorporating bmr6 and bmr12 to reduce lignin and determine the effects of these alleles on end-use quality.

bmr12 plants in greenhouse

 

bmr leaf midrib phenotype

 

stalk cross-section stained for lignin