Rapid Impedance Methods for Assaying Hydrocarbons and Fermentable Sugars in Plant Materials

Marker-assisted breeding programs for new biofuel crops have the potential to rapidly accelerate crop development, but they are ham- strung by the slow pace at which new phenotypes can be evaluated for composition. Current extraction and analysis technologies are not up to the task. New assay methods are urgently needed to realize the potential of marker-assisted breeding programs, and thereby accelerate the development of new bioenergy crops. New compositional analysis instrumentation will be developed based upon the principles of complex impedance analysis. Together with rapid new sample preparation methods, these techniques will be utilized to predict sugar and hydrocarbon ratios in a variety of different biomass materials. Commercial Benefits: Successful development of the methods and instruments described in this project would be an enabling technology. Specifically, it would enable new bioenergy crops to be developed more rapidly, and would accelerate the introduction of higher-yielding strains.