Obiettivo The proposal addresses section 1.3 'The Forestry-Wood Chain'. It aims to 'enhance the fibrous and mechanical properties of wood' (1.3.1.2) by improving control over wood properties, enabling them to be matched to enduser requirements. It will contribute to improved productivity of an increasingly important species (poplar) for the European pulp and paper industry ( 1.3 .1.1) and to improved forest management and harvesting systems by providing a basis for genetic transformation of trees to ensure efficient use of forest land (1.3.1.3). This will lead to increased competitiveness and economic benefits for European tree growers and industrial users. Hybrid aspen ( Populus tremula x tremuloïdes) will be used as a model system to obtain a better understanding of fundamental wood formation processes.This represents an innovative approach to the study of plant cell differentiation, which has hitherto largely concentrated on non-woody species. It will establish generic principles for use in genetic engineering of other tree species and provide a base for a programme of genetic modification to produce 'designer' trees, with wood matched to end-users' specific requirements. The work is timely because there is increasing demand for uniform raw material of high quality from the wood processing industries, coupled with a decrease in supply from natural forests. There is also pressure on the forest industry to grow native hardwoods rather than exotic softwoods, since the latter are now regarded as aesthetically unattractive and environmentally damaging. Improving the productivity, uniformity and quality of hardwoods will reduce processing costs and wastage for industrial users, in particular, it will reduce energy requirements, and by increased utilisation of raw material will reduce pollution (mainly by reducing water requirements in processing). Better financial returns from trees with modified characteristics will encourage landowners to establish plantations, providing employment in rural areas, and reducing demand for imports of expensive and endangered hardwood species from third countries. The project needs to be carried out at the Community level, since there are few workers in Europe with the necessary experience and expertise in the field of cambium activity and wood formation. This proposal involves recognised experts from five Community countries bringing their special skills to bear on the problem in a coherent and co-ordinated way. The vascular cambium and differentiating wood cells in untransformed plants, and plants genetically transformed to have altered endogenous auxin levels, will be studied. At the tissue level, the effect of auxin on rates of cell production and wood anatomy of will be studied. At the cellular level, wood formation will be studied using state of the art and novel techniques of molecular biology, biochemistry and microscopy. Some established techniques will be applied to the vascular cambium for the first time to enable a high resolution study of the effect of this growth substance on fundamental wood formation processes. Campo scientifico medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesforestrysilviculturesocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivityengineering and technologymaterials engineeringwoodworkingnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmolecular biology Programma(i) FP4-FAIR - Specific research, technological development and demonstration programme in the field of agriculture and fisheries (including agro-industry, food technologies, forestry, aquaculture and rural development), 1994-1998 Argomento(i) 1.3 - The forestry-wood chain Invito a presentare proposte Data not available Meccanismo di finanziamento CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinatore UNIVERSITY OF READING Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo Whiteknights RG6 2AS Reading Regno Unito Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Partecipanti (1) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Francia Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo PLACE JUSSIEU N.2 75251 CEDE PARIS Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato
