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Harnessing Microbial Diversity for Sustainable Use of Forest Biomass Resources
Generating solutions
Status
Competition
Genome Centre(s)
GE3LS
Project Leader(s)
- Lindsay Eltis,
- University of British Columbia
- William Mohn,
- University of British Columbia
Fiscal Year Project Launched
Project Description
Towards a new range of bioproducts from forest biomass. The forestry products industry is one of Canada’s largest contributors to GDP, however, its role has been diminished by increasing competition, consumer demands for higher quality products and stakeholder interest in improved forest management. A key part of remaining competitive involves better management of forest biomass a rich source of biofuels, feedstocks and other ligninbased products such as resins and carbon fibers. Together, these could contribute more than $1 billion to GDP.
With funding from Genome Canada, scientists are exploring the microorganisms found in soil that naturally degrade biomass. Unlocking the potential of forest biomass will lead to better forest management practices and improve the economics of ligninbased products. To expedite the wider use of these innovations, an integrated GE3LS component is investigating key technological, commercial organizational, environmental and societal issues.