Paper might become more sustainable as a result of geneticall
A group of scientists has genetically engineered trees to address environmental concerns about paper manufacture, which is a huge step forward. The researchers wanted to prove that precise genetic engineering may lead to superior wood composition, decreasing the need for toxic chemicals and energy-intensive procedures involved in paper production.
Environmental problems of paper manufacturing
Paper production has long been related with chemical waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to climate change. The procedure includes cutting and dissolving the lignin in wood, resulting in huge chemical waste and significant carbon dioxide emissions when the lignin is burned. According to science, paper manufacture accounts for more than 150 million tonnes of GHG emissions per year.
Because of the complexity of the polymers within the wood, Jack Wang, one of the study’s authors and an adjunct professor in North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Sciences and Resources, explained that modifying lignin in ways compatible with production processing applications has been difficult.
The scientists employed the CRISPR gene-editing method to precisely modify particular regions of DNA in poplar plants to solve this issue. His objective was to enhance papermaking efficiency while minimising waste and pollution by lowering lignin content and boosting carbs.
The researchers analysed 70,000 possible gene-editing options using predictive machine learning algorithms, finally limiting them down to less than 350. They discovered seven successful ways for addressing multiple gene editing at the same time in follow-up tests.
CRISPR-edited poplars have improved wood composition.
The scientists nurtured 174 separate lines of poplars in a greenhouse for six months after creating them using CRISPR gene editing. They discovered that the altered trees had much less lignin and a greater glucose content after analysing the wood’s composition. Some trees were half the size of standard poplars, with a 228% increase in glucose content per lignin.
