When it comes to fundamental biological research, the fruit fly has long been the classic model organism on which scientists experiment.  

Now, thanks to one of two $1.2 million federal grants, researchers at Oregon State University are creating a sort of fruit fly of their own that will be used for the study of cellulosic biofuel feedstock crops that could one day become alternative sources of fuel.

“What our project is about is really fundamental basic research that relates to cellulosic ethanol,” says Todd Mockler, an assistant professor of botany at OSU. “And for that kind of research, you need a model organism.”

Mockler’s project received a three-year, $1.2 million grant from the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to basically create a DNA chip for brachypodium, a model grass that researchers can study to learn more about the biofuel crops of tomorrow.

The chip, a tiny square packed with brachypodium DNA, will be manufactured by the California firm Affymetrix and made available to researchers all over the world. Those scientists will conduct experiments to see how brachypodium can be made into a superior crop that is, say, more resistant to drought or insects. Once scientists figure out how to make those genetic modifications in brachypodium, they’ll be able to make them in closely related biofuel crops like switchgrass.

The other $1.2 million grant went to OSU forest science professor Steven Strauss, who will study the poplar tree, which itself may be a valuable biofuel crop someday.

But don’t expect to see poplar- or switchgrass-based ethanol fuels at the pump anytime soon. While Mockler sees these grants as a welcome opportunity for research, it likely will be years before alternative fuels like these play a more significant role.

“The technology isn’t mature enough yet to make billions of gallons of ethanol from cellulose for fuel,” he says. “But there are lots of possible solutions.”                   

JON BELL