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April 26, 2004 -- Stronger paper and wood products could be the result of tree growth and modification studies at Michigan Technological University. Victor Busov, assistant professor of forest resources and environmental science, has received a grant from the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research to continue these studies. He shares the grant with Steven Strauss, professor of forest science at Oregon State University. "We are looking at increasing the fiber length in trees, for stronger paper and structural wood products," Busov explained. "Such modifications of wood properties can also improve the ability to pulp the wood and decrease the need for use of expensive and environmentally hazardous chemicals. Strauss and Busov will identify ways to modify growth and wood properties in trees through genetic modification of gibberellic acid metabolism--one of the main hormones controlling plant development. The researchers have already isolated a major gene in the gibberellic acid metabolic pathway and demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach to control tree size. Altering the wood's economic properties such as the fibers and tree height can increase not only the availability of the product but its market value. Busov is part of Michigan Tech's Plant Biotechnology Research Center, which focuses on the molecular make-up of trees and tree properties that contribute to improved wood production and conscientious forest stewardship. According to the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR), world demand for pulp and paper products is expected to increase by 50 percent in the next 15 years. Nearly all of this increased demand will be met through the use of plantation-grown trees. Improving growth and quality factors of these trees will be instrumental in meeting the demand while at the same time preserve natural forests for environmental and biological diversity. "The research project proposed by Drs. Strauss and Busov is innovative, the science is strong and the potential commercial, economic and environmental values are great," said Dr. Dorin Schumacher, chair and president of the Consortium. This project, as well as others funded by CPBR, will generate economic development through new jobs and value-added crops. The research will also support environmental preservation by encouraging the use of renewable resources. The Consortium is a national, non-profit organization matching US research universities with companies interested in developing improved products and processes. |