Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (Jan 2019)

Genomic resources for energy cane breeding in the post genomics era

  • Augusto L. Diniz,
  • Sávio S. Ferreira,
  • Felipe ten-Caten,
  • Gabriel R.A. Margarido,
  • João M. dos Santos,
  • Geraldo V. de S. Barbosa,
  • Monalisa S. Carneiro,
  • Glaucia M. Souza

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17
pp. 1404 – 1414

Abstract

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Sugarcane is one of the most sustainable energy crops among cultivated crops presenting the highest tonnage of cultivated plants. Its high productivity of sugar, bioethanol and bioelectricity make it a promising green alternative to petroleum. Furthermore, the myriad of products that can be derived from sugarcane biomass has been driving breeding programs towards varieties with a higher yield of fiber and a more vigorous and sustainable performance: the energy cane. Here we provide an overview of the energy cane including plant description, breeding efforts, types, and end-uses. In addition, we describe recently published genomic resources for the development of this crop, discuss current knowledge of cell wall metabolism, bioinformatic tools and databases available for the community. Keywords: Biomass, Bioenergy, Biofuels, Bioproducts, Genomics, Grasses