Brookhaven researchers engineer poplar trees to produce chemicals and bioplastic

In New York state, a team led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has engineered poplar trees to produce valuable chemicals that can be used to make biodegradable plastics and other products. The modified trees were more tolerant of high salt levels in soil and were easier to break down for conversion into biofuels and other bioproducts.

The study, published in Plant Biotechnology Journal, shows that poplar trees, which are already useful as a bioenergy crop, can be reprogrammed at the genetic level to act as living factories for producing high-value materials. This approach for making important raw materials could help establish a flexible domestic supply chain, potentially lowering costs and reducing reliance on imported specialty chemicals.