Scientists now have a new tool to decipher the genetics of switchgrass in order to examine its potential as a biofuel, Science Daily reported. Researchers at an Agricultural Research Service center in Albany, California are decoding the genetic map of switchgrass in hopes it will be a more viable source of bioenergy. The team assembled the genetic map by extracting DNA and assembling a map based on more than 1,000 genetic markers. The scientists hope to make switchgrass more commercially viable by increasing yields and making the process of breaking down the plant cell walls easier.

(Science Daily, July 27, 2010)

(http://www.sciencedaily.com/…)