LIGNOCELLULOSE

Our mission: CLSF is working to dramatically increase our fundamental knowledge of the physical structure of biopolymers in plant cell walls to enable fresh insights and perspectives into the formation and structure of these highly useful, energy-rich, renewable biomaterials... Understanding the fundamentals of cell wall structure and assembly may open new frontiers in bioenergy and biomaterials technologies based on cell wall engineering. Plants are important sources of renewable energy and carbon-based materials for society's needs. Our center focuses the complementary talents of biologists, physical scientists and engineers to uncover the well-kept secrets of how plants build microscopic threads of cellulose and assemble them with other polymers to make complex structures. These structures - ‘cell walls' - have versatile properties unmatched by current industrial materials. The insights gained in our research could inspire new ways to tailor energy-rich biomaterials and to mimic..

Primary location: University Park United States