This first complete tree genome comes from a Black Cottonwood (Populas trichocarpa), a fast-growing poplar tree species native to the west coast of the North American continent. Leading scientists at DOE JGI speculate that the two-year analysis of the properties of this genome “lays the groundwork that may lead to the development of trees as an ideal ‘feedstock’ for a new generation of biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol”, according to a DOE JGI press release.

Dr. Covert first began working on this research project after attending the “annotation jamboree” in December 2004, which was a meeting of the minds to determine the best methods for analyzing the structure of particular genome families out of the raw, but complete DNA sequence.

Before joining the Poplar genome project Dr. Covert concentrated on the genetic make-up of southern pine trees. However, her research had reached as far into pine tree DNA as the available technology would allow at about the same time the DOE JGI received significant support and funding.

“I realized working on this initiative would be a great research tool,” Covert said. “Many of the benefits gained from the study of Poplar development will transfer directly to southern pine.”

As she describes it, the much smaller genome capacity in the Poplar (480 million nucleotide units compared to pine trees, which have 40 times more units) makes it easier to identify the most critical proteins responsible for wood growth. “It’s like looking for the needle, or in this case the most important genes, but in a much smaller haystack,”
Dr. Covert said.

Now that analysis of the genome is complete, Dr. Covert agrees this is “a huge breakthrough in our ability to understand how trees grow at a cellular level, and should accelerate the research progress on growth and development of all tree species.”

This research report comes on the heels of another exciting biofuels research project conducted at the Warnell School. Dr. Dale Green’s recent research reporting effective methods for using unutilized Slash Pine plantation harvesting residue (slash and understory growth) to generate electricity in manufacturing boilers is featured in the September edition of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Forestry Source publication.

“We are very pleased to have some of the nation’s top forest and natural resource scientists here at the Warnell School participating in ground-breaking research on alternative energy opportunities,” Warnell School Dean Richard Porterfield stated. “Our scientists work very hard to try and make a positive difference in the daily lives of all Georgia residents, and American citizens, while at the same time educating the forestry and natural resource leaders of tomorrow.”