The group of FU Chunxiang at QIBEBT has succeeded to apply molecular breeding to these two energy plants resulting in higher biomass, less lignin and shorter flowering time. Currently, the cost of cellulosic ethanol compared to commercial starch ethanol is 1.6 fold in China. It is expected that such breeding programs help to establish economic bioethanol production from biomass.
CAS news release, June 2, 2016