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Contacts:
CNAP Director,
Professor Ian Graham
CNAP Manager, Dr Caroline Calvert
CNAP, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
CNAP - Centre for Novel Agricultural Products
Biorenewables and Biofuels
2. Oil production in biomass and seeds
Funded by the BBSRC
Professor Ian Graham.
In oilcrops such as sunflower, soybean, oilseed rape and Jatropha the oil is produced in seeds, while in olive and palm it is produced in the fruit. The Graham Group have discovered genes that allow the production of oil in biomass opening up the possibility of an oilstream coming from biomass crops in a biofuels biorefinery. Further applications of this technology include increasing the calorific value of forage crops for animal feed. This novel concept with major potential for converting the carbon in biomass to oils either prior to or post-harvest is at the proof of concept stage and now needs to be fully evaluated in relevant biomass crops. CNAP has a strong IP position in this area.
New oilcrops for the developing world
Funded by EU Framework Programme 7 (JATROPT) and a BBSRC Targeted Bioenergy Studentship
Professor Ian Graham
Jatropha curcas has been identified as a suitable plant species for the production of biodiesel in countries of the developing world. Cultivation of the Jatropha bush can have major benefits for the environment. It is a relatively low-input crop grown on non-food producing marginal land in the tropics and sub-tropics and results in extremely favourable life cycle analysis – compared to both fossil fuels and other currently used feedstocks for biofuel production such as soybean and sugar cane that are grown on agriculturally valuable land.
Jatropha curcas has undergone almost no genetic improvement for use as a biofuel crop. Among a number of traits that need to be improved is seed edibility. The research programme is using fast-track breeding to increase the genetic diversity of Jatropha in order to select new varieties with improved traits such as increased seed and oil yield and non-toxic seed meal. In addition, deep sequencing of toxic and non- toxic varieties has led to the discovery of novel genes and markers which will identify useful traits arising from the breeding programme such as pest resistance, drought tolerance, oil yield and quality.
Jatropha growing in CNAP glasshouse An example of developing seed material used for deep sequencing, gene discovery and molecular marker identification
A powerpoint presentation summarising the CNAP Jatropha research programme as presented at the IFAD International consultation workshop on pro-poor Jatropha development, Rome 10-11 April 2008 can be downloaded by clicking here (PDF format) .