In Tennessee, a team of scientists from two Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers identified a gene in poplar trees that enhances photosynthesis and can boost the height of trees by about 30% in the field and as much as 200% in a greenhouse. The gene, named BOOSTER, is a chimeric gene—one formed by the combination of other genes or parts of genes. The BOOSTER gene contains sequences from three originally separated genes and has been preserved in poplar trees with minimal change over evolutionary time. The gene plays an important role in photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose. Plants then use glucose to form cellulose, starch, and other molecules that become material we use for food and fuel.
Scientists identified the natural novel gene, BOOSTER, in the black cottonwood tree, a type of poplar. This tree thrives from Baja California in Mexico into northern Canada. Researchers view it as a leading candidate for making biomass that can be converted into biofuels and other bioproducts. This variant gene can be bred naturally into black cottonwood and into commercial poplar hybrids. The gene also increased biomass when inserted into another plant, Arabidopsis, or thale cress. This result indicates that BOOSTER may increase yields from many commercial crops.
