Chapter 3: Omics and the Future of Sustainable Biomaterials

Abstract

With global focus on the conversion of biomass into products, fuels, and energy, there is a strong need for information that will lead to new sustainable products, applications, and biotechnological advances. The omics approach to biology is a discovery-driven method that may deliver solutions to these overarching problems. It gives scientists the ability to obtain a systems-level understanding of life that begins with identifying the genome or genes in an organism. The pivotal technology that enabled this revolutionary approach is next generation DNA sequencing. New fields bring new jargon and new analytical methods making it difficult to appreciate the technology or the significance of the science. Our goal in this review is to present an introduction to the most important omics approaches that have been used to gain insight into how wood decay fungi convert lignocellulose into energy and why certain species are metal-tolerant. The expectation is that once relevant genes are identified, biotechnological methods will give rise to novel solutions that will advance wood protection and utilization.

Citation

Tang, Juliet D.; Diehl, Susan V. 2014. Chapter 3: Omics and the Future of Sustainable Biomaterials. In: Deterioration and Protection of Sustainable Biomaterials, 2014, American Chemical Society, ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC. 2014. pp. 59-79