Fat worms confirm that researchers from Michigan State
University have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves – a feat that
could enhance biofuel production as well as lead to improved animal feeds.
The results, published in the current issue of The Plant
Cell, the journal of the American Society of Plant Biologists, show that
researchers could use an algae gene involved in oil production to engineer a
plant that stores lipids or vegetable oil in its leaves – an uncommon
occurrence for most plants.
Traditional biofuel research has focused on improving the
oil content of seeds. One reason for this focus is because oil production in
seeds occurs naturally. Little research, however, has been done to examine the
oil production of leaves and stems, as plants don’t typically store lipids in
these tissues.