these multiplex CRISPR edits of wood trees to have a 229% yield increase for paper-making
It’s possible to use breeding techniques—and these days, you can do “molecular breeding”—to get a wide range of cellulose-lignin-xylose ratios. Anything outside the naturally existing range is going to be quite bad for plant growth/viability. Also, a 229% increase must have been from a particularly low baseline, much lower than anything currently used for making paper.
This is something I looked into a bit when I was pondering candidates for biomass → chemical conversion.
It’s possible to use breeding techniques—and these days, you can do “molecular breeding”—to get a wide range of cellulose-lignin-xylose ratios. Anything outside the naturally existing range is going to be quite bad for plant growth/viability. Also, a 229% increase must have been from a particularly low baseline, much lower than anything currently used for making paper.
This is something I looked into a bit when I was pondering candidates for biomass → chemical conversion.