Metabolic Engineering of Lignin for Advancing Agricultural Sustainability and the New Bioeconomy

The result of many years of work on the biosynthesis of lignin and collaboration with a commercial partner has resulted in the release of low lignin alfalfa with superior forage quality and management characteristics. However, economic considerations support valorization, rather than simple removal, of lignin for biorefining. To this end, we are working on the biosynthesis and engineering of novel lignins with favorable properties for conversion to bioproducts.