A team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has successfully engineered poplar trees to produce essential chemicals for biodegradable plastics and other industrial applications. Published on November 20, 2025, in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, this groundbreaking research highlights the potential of genetically modified trees to serve as sustainable sources for high-value materials.
The modified poplar trees demonstrate increased tolerance to high soil salinity and enhanced breakdown capabilities for conversion into biofuels and bioproducts. This innovative approach could pave the way for a more flexible domestic supply chain, significantly reducing dependence on imported chemicals and potentially lowering production costs.
Engineering Poplar for Industrial Use
Led by biologist Chang-Jun Liu, the research team altered hybrid poplar trees to produce 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), a compound crucial for creating durable, high-performance plastics and coatings. Traditionally, PDC is derived through complex chemical processes or microbial fermentation. The Brookhaven team integrated five genes from naturally occurring soil microbes into the trees, establishing a synthetic metabolic pathway that enables the plants to produce PDC and related compounds, such as protocatechuic acid and vanillic acid.
According to Nidhi Dwivedi, a researcher in Liu’s team, poplar trees are fast-growing, adaptable, and easy to propagate. “By adding this new pathway, we’re expanding the range of bioproducts these trees can produce,” Dwivedi explained.
Additional Benefits and Future Steps
The genetic modifications have also resulted in notable changes in the internal chemistry of the trees. The engineered poplar trees exhibit reduced lignin levels, which typically complicate biomass breakdown, while increasing hemicellulose content, a complex sugar beneficial for biochemical conversions. These adjustments lead to a yield increase of up to 25% more glucose and 2.5 times more xylose, essential ingredients for biofuels and other bioproducts.
Moreover, the metabolic changes have heightened the accumulation of suberin, a waxy substance that protects plant tissues and enhances their ability to retain water and nutrients, even in less-than-ideal growing conditions. “These trees can thrive in soils unsuitable for food production, which means they won’t compete with agricultural land,” remarked Dwivedi. Notably, when stressed by high salt levels, the modified trees can produce even greater amounts of bioproducts compared to their unstressed counterparts.
Currently, the results have been observed in greenhouse settings, with plans to test the engineered poplars under field conditions to validate their performance and stability over time. The research team aims to optimize the metabolic pathway further to increase PDC and related compound yields.
The model established by this research allows for easy modification and scalability, enabling it to adapt to changing market demands without the significant upfront costs typically associated with conventional chemical manufacturing. “This work gives us a deeper understanding of plant metabolism,” Liu stated. “Using different combinations of genes, we can potentially create additional products, providing valuable insights for designing productive crops that cater to diverse U.S. manufacturing and agricultural needs.”
This innovative research underscores the potential for biotechnology to contribute to sustainable manufacturing and agricultural practices, paving the way for a greener future.
