Lessons for engineering PHB production in C4 plants

What is it about?

We looked at how making plastic in the leaves of sugarcane affects the biochemistry of the leaf. From this we found out that the plastic granules disrupt light in photosynthetically active cells where sugars are made. This means that the plant isn't able to capture as much energy from the sun. Making the plastic in other cell types should avoid this problem.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Bioengineering plants to make novel chemicals is not a straight forward task. The novel chemical or product can produce adverse effects on the plant depending on where it is made. A global view of plant metabolism can assist in making important decisions on where and when to produce the novel chemical.

Perspectives