523 results on '"Taylor, Gail"'
Search Results
2. A Reckoning by Linda Spalding (review)
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Taylor, Gail E.
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- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Watercress yield and quality vary depending on both genotype and environment: Results from highly contrasting growing systems of California and UK
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Qian, Yufei, Hibbert, Lauren E, Katz, Ella, Smith, Hazel K, Kliebenstein, Daniel J, and Taylor, Gail
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Nutrition ,Phytochemical ,Plant breeding ,Leafy green ,Chemoprevention ,Aquatic crop ,Biochemistry and Cell Biology ,Horticultural Production ,Horticulture - Abstract
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.; Brassicaceae) is a highly nutritious leafy green vegetable consumed globally, with a rich health-related phytonutrient profile that includes the secondary plant metabolites glucosinolates (GLS), especially gluconasturtiin and its hydrolysis product phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). The peppery taste and pungency of watercress comes from these mustard oils, and they are known to help reduce inflammation and chronic damage in cells and have been shown to have a role in cancer prevention in vitro and in vivo. We explored how both genotype and highly contrasting environments of California (CA) and the United Kingdom (UK) alter phenotypic traits for a set of F2:4 genotypes created from a unique bi-parental cross, chosen for their extreme phenotypes for yield, leaf and branch morphology, antioxidant capacity, and glucosinolate content in two contrasting field locations. Although both genotype and environment had a significant impact on plant morphology, nutritional quality, and yield, overall, the highly contrasting environments of California and the UK, had a much stronger effect. Plants grown in CA had higher biomass, thicker main stem and more branches, and a higher concentration of aromatic GLS, whilst plants grown in the UK had larger leaves with longer stems, suggesting a better harvestable product, at least for a salad and not a soup crop. Significant G x E interactions were observed for multiple traits, suggesting significant phenotypic plasticity of watercress and variation between genotypes that will enable the selection of ideotypes suitable for these highly contrasting growth environments, that can be considered as the ‘extremes’ of an environmental gradient where the crop might be grown, from the warm and dry soil-grown conditions of California to the relatively cool and wet aquatic growing system of the UK.
- Published
- 2023
4. A net-zero storyline for success? News media analysis of the social legitimacy of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the United Kingdom
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Donnison, Caspar L, Trdlicova, Karolina, Mohr, Alison, and Taylor, Gail
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Climate Action ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage ,BECCS ,Social acceptance ,Social legitimacy ,Industrial decarbonisation ,Newspaper ,Text analysis ,Storyline ,Net -zero ,Human Geography ,Policy and Administration - Abstract
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) features in global scale assessments of climate mitigation, but with limited exploration of how and where the technology could be deployed. BECCS is unlikely to perform a major role in national strategies whilst key aspects of deployment and public concerns are unaddressed, as happened with fracking. Since public understanding of the technology is limited, there is a crucial role for the news media in facilitating greater public discussion and understanding of BECCS. Here, a news media analysis of both national and regional newspapers explores the ‘storylines’ which frame the public debate on BECCS in the UK, and the coalitions of actors involved in presenting them. Several storylines present a positive framing of BECCS as Necessary and an Opportunity, particularly in regional newspapers of Yorkshire and the Humber where Drax's biomass power station is located. The Anchor for transition storyline describes the regional socio-economic opportunity of Drax's proposed BECCS project. However, this pro-BECCS coalition is undermined by other storylines that frame BECCS as Dangerous and Overhyped. To achieve discursive dominance, facilitating social acceptance and legitimacy for the technology, the positive framing of BECCS will require disarming storylines labelling BECCS as Worse than coal, No silver bullet, an Environmental disaster, and a Distraction. Our results suggest storyline resonance varies according to context, with notable differences between the public discourse at national and regional level; the Anchor for transition storyline resonates in an industrial community facing the socio-economic challenges of decarbonisation.
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- 2023
5. Few-Shot Learning Enables Population-Scale Analysis of Leaf Traits in Populus trichocarpa.
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Lagergren, John, Pavicic, Mirko, Chhetri, Hari, York, Larry, Hyatt, Doug, Kainer, David, Rutter, Erica, Flores, Kevin, Bailey-Bale, Jack, Klein, Marie, Jacobson, Daniel, Streich, Jared, and Taylor, Gail
- Abstract
Plant phenotyping is typically a time-consuming and expensive endeavor, requiring large groups of researchers to meticulously measure biologically relevant plant traits, and is the main bottleneck in understanding plant adaptation and the genetic architecture underlying complex traits at population scale. In this work, we address these challenges by leveraging few-shot learning with convolutional neural networks to segment the leaf body and visible venation of 2,906 Populus trichocarpa leaf images obtained in the field. In contrast to previous methods, our approach (a) does not require experimental or image preprocessing, (b) uses the raw RGB images at full resolution, and (c) requires very few samples for training (e.g., just 8 images for vein segmentation). Traits relating to leaf morphology and vein topology are extracted from the resulting segmentations using traditional open-source image-processing tools, validated using real-world physical measurements, and used to conduct a genome-wide association study to identify genes controlling the traits. In this way, the current work is designed to provide the plant phenotyping community with (a) methods for fast and accurate image-based feature extraction that require minimal training data and (b) a new population-scale dataset, including 68 different leaf phenotypes, for domain scientists and machine learning researchers. All of the few-shot learning code, data, and results are made publicly available.
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- 2023
6. His dark materials: Quantifying the problem of dust (particulate matter) in the agricultural landscape of California
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Zeeshan, Nukshab, Freer-Smith, Peter, Murtaza, Ghulam, Wong, Amanda E., and Taylor, Gail
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Improved yield and health benefits of watercress grown in an indoor vertical farm
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Qian, Yufei, Hibbert, Lauren E, Milner, Suzanne, Katz, Ella, Kliebenstein, Daniel J, and Taylor, Gail
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Zero Hunger ,Vertical farm ,Glucosinolates ,Yield ,Nutrition ,Controlled environment agriculture ,Leafy green ,Biochemistry and Cell Biology ,Horticultural Production ,Horticulture - Abstract
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) is a highly nutritious leafy crop with a rich health-related phytonutrient profile including secondary plant metabolites such as glucosinolates. This semi-aquatic crop is well-suited for indoor hydroponic cultivation and has a growing market for its distinctive peppery taste and health benefits. We describe crop trials in three contrasting environments and report the changes to plant morphology, yield, and nutritional profile under varying blue light treatments. Yield and glucosinolate quantity were significantly increased in a vertical farm system enriched in blue light, relative to field-grown crops. Additionally, PBITC, a glucosinolate not previously identified in field-grown watercress, was found in plants grown in a vertical farm. This work demonstrates the great potential of watercress in a new era of controlled environment agriculture to deliver improved health benefits to customers.
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- 2022
8. Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions
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Dunnett, Sebastian, Holland, Robert A, Taylor, Gail, and Eigenbrod, Felix
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Life on Land ,Climate Action ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,Biodiversity ,Brazil ,Climate Change ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Solar Energy ,renewable ,energy ,biodiversity ,conservation - Abstract
Protected areas and renewable energy generation are critical tools to combat biodiversity loss and climate change, respectively. Over the coming decades, expansion of the protected area network to meet conservation objectives will be occurring alongside rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure to meet climate targets, driving potential conflict for a finite land resource. Renewable energy infrastructure can have negative effects on wildlife, and co-occurrence may mean emissions targets are met at the expense of conservation objectives. Here, we assess current and projected overlaps of wind and solar photovoltaic installations and important conservation areas across nine global regions using spatially explicit wind and solar data and methods for predicting future renewable expansion. We show similar levels of co-occurrence as previous studies but demonstrate that once area is accounted for, previous concerns about overlaps in the Northern Hemisphere may be largely unfounded, although they are high in some biodiverse countries (e.g., Brazil). Future projections of overlap between the two land uses presented here are generally dependent on priority threshold and region and suggest the risk of future conflict can be low. We use the best available data on protected area degradation to corroborate this level of risk. Together, our findings indicate that while conflicts between renewables and protected areas inevitably do occur, renewables represent an important option for decarbonization of the energy sector that would not significantly affect area-based conservation targets if deployed with appropriate policy and regulatory controls.
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- 2022
9. Improving phosphate use efficiency in the aquatic crop watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
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Hibbert, Lauren and Taylor, Gail
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Genetics ,Zero Hunger - Abstract
Watercress is a nutrient-dense leafy green crop, traditionally grown in aquatic outdoor systems and increasingly seen as well-suited for indoor hydroponic systems. However, there is concern that this crop has a detrimental impact on the environment through direct phosphate additions causing environmental pollution. Phosphate-based fertilisers are supplied to enhanced crop yield, but their use may contribute to eutrophication of waterways downstream of traditional watercress farms. One option is to develop a more phosphate use efficient (PUE) crop. This review identifies the key traits for this aquatic crop (the ideotype), for future selection, marker development and breeding. Traits identified as important for PUE are (i) increased root surface area through prolific root branching and adventitious root formation, (ii) aerenchyma formation and root hair growth. Functional genomic traits for improved PUE are (iii) efficacious phosphate remobilisation and scavenging strategies and (iv) the use of alternative metabolic pathways. Key genomic targets for this aquatic crop are identified as: PHT phosphate transporter genes, global transcriptional regulators such as those of the SPX family and genes involved in galactolipid and sulfolipid biosynthesis such as MGD2/3, PECP1, PSR2, PLDζ1/2 and SQD2. Breeding for enhanced PUE in watercress will be accelerated by improved molecular genetic resources such as a full reference genome sequence that is currently in development.
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- 2022
10. THC and CBD Fingerprinting of an Elite Cannabis Collection from Iran: Quantifying Diversity to Underpin Future Cannabis Breeding
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Dehnavi, Mahboubeh Mostafaei, Ebadi, Ali, Peirovi, Afshin, Taylor, Gail, and Salami, Seyed Alireza
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Cannabinoid Research ,Therapeutic Cannabinoid Research ,Substance Misuse ,Cannabidiol Research ,Drug Abuse (NIDA only) ,medical cannabis ,hemp ,marijuana ,gene pool ,landrace ,phytocannabinoid - Abstract
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has a rich history of human use, and the therapeutic importance of compounds produced by this species is recognized by the medical community. The active constituents of cannabis, collectively called cannabinoids, encompass hundreds of distinct molecules, the most well-characterized of which are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which have been used for centuries as recreational drugs and medicinal agents. As a first step to establish a cannabis breeding program, we initiated this study to describe the HPLC-measured quantity of THC and CBD biochemistry profiles of 161 feral pistillate cannabis plants from 20 geographical regions of Iran. Our data showed that Iran can be considered a new region of high potential for distribution of cannabis landraces with diverse THC and CBD content, predominantly falling into three groups, as Type I = THC-predominant, Type II = approximately equal proportions of THC and CBD (both CBD and THC in a ratio close to the unity), and Type III = CBD-predominant. Correlation analysis among two target cannabinoids and environmental and geographical variables indicated that both THC and CBD contents were strongly influenced by several environmental-geographical factors, such that THC and CBD contents were positively correlated with mean, min and max annual temperature and negatively correlated with latitude, elevation, and humidity. Additionally, a negative correlation was observed between THC and CBD concentrations, suggesting that further studies to unravel these genotype × environment interactions (G × E interactions) are warranted. The results of this study provide important pre-breeding information on a collection of cannabis that will underpin future breeding programs.
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- 2022
11. Genotypic and tissue-specific variation of Populus nigra transcriptome profiles in response to drought
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Eckert, Christian, Wildhagen, Henning, Paulo, Maria João, Scalabrin, Simone, Ballauff, Johannes, Schnabel, Sabine K, Vendramin, Vera, Keurentjes, Joost JB, Bogeat-Triboulot, Marie-Béatrice, Taylor, Gail, and Polle, Andrea
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Genetics ,Climate Change ,Droughts ,Gene Expression Regulation ,Plant ,Genotype ,Populus ,Transcriptome ,Water - Abstract
Climate change is one of the most important challenges for mankind in the far and near future. In this regard, sustainable production of woody crops on marginal land with low water availability is a major challenge to tackle. This dataset is part of an experiment, in which we exposed three genetically differentiated genotypes of Populus nigra originating from contrasting natural habitats to gradually increasing moderate drought. RNA sequencing was performed on fine roots, developing xylem and leaves of those three genotypes under control and moderate drought conditions in order to get a comprehensive dataset on the transcriptional changes at the whole plant level under water limiting conditions. This dataset has already provided insight in the transcriptional control of saccharification potential of the three Populus genotypes under drought conditions and we suggest that our data will be valuable for further in-depth analysis regarding candidate gene identification or, on a bigger scale, for meta-transcriptome analysis.
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- 2022
12. An underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture
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Levintal, Elad, Ganot, Yonatan, Taylor, Gail, Freer-Smith, Peter, Suvocarev, Kosana, and Dahlke, Helen E
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Earth Sciences ,Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience ,Environmental Sciences ,Soil Sciences ,Physical geography and environmental geoscience ,Soil sciences - Abstract
The use of wireless sensor networks to measure soil parameters eliminates the need to remove sensors for field operations, such as tillage, thus allowing long-term measurements without multiple disturbances to soil structure. Wireless sensors also reduce above-ground cables and the risk of undesired equipment damage and potential data loss. However, implementing wireless sensor networks in field studies usually requires advanced and costly engineering knowledge. This study presents a new underground, wireless, open-source, low-cost system for monitoring soil oxygen, temperature, and soil moisture. The process of system design, assembly, programming, deployment, and power management is presented. The system can be left underground for several years without the need to change the battery. Emphasis was given on modularity so that it can be easily duplicated or changed if needed and deployed without previous engineering knowledge. Data from this type of system have a wide range of applications, including precision agriculture and high-resolution modelling.
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- 2022
13. Spatial context matters: Assessing how future renewable energy pathways will impact nature and society
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Delafield, Gemma, Smith, Greg S., Day, Brett, Holland, Robert A., Donnison, Caspar, Hastings, Astley, Taylor, Gail, Owen, Nathan, and Lovett, Andrew
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- 2024
- Full Text
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14. Embrace open-source sensors for local climate studies
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Levintal, Elad, Suvočarev, Kosana, Taylor, Gail, and Dahlke, Helen E
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Climate ,Climate Change ,Climate sciences ,Environmental sciences ,Research data ,General Science & Technology - Published
- 2021
15. Land-use change from food to energy: meta-analysis unravels effects of bioenergy on biodiversity and cultural ecosystem services
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Donnison, Caspar, Holland, Robert A, Harris, Zoe M, Eigenbrod, Felix, and Taylor, Gail
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Life on Land ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,Life Below Water ,bioenergy crops ,biodiversity ,ecosystem services ,meta-analysis ,aesthetic value ,BECCS ,public acceptance ,Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences - Abstract
Bioenergy has been identified as a key contributor to future energy scenarios consistent with the Paris Agreement targets, and is relied upon in scenarios both with and without bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, owing to the multiple ways in which bioenergy can substitute fossil fuels. Understanding the environmental and societal impacts of land-use change (LUC) to bioenergy crops is important in determining where and how they could be deployed, and the resulting trade-offs and co-benefits. We use systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the existing literature on two poorly understood impacts of this LUC that are likely to have an important effect on public acceptability: cultural ecosystem services and biodiversity. We focus on the impact of LUC to non-food bioenergy crops on agricultural landscapes, where large-scale bioenergy planting may be required. Our meta-analysis finds strong benefits for biodiversity overall (up 75% ± 13%), with particular benefits for bird abundance (+81% ± 32%), bird species richness (+100% ± 31%), arthropod abundance (+52% ± 36%), microbial biomass (+77% ± 24%), and plant species richness (+25% ± 22%), when land moves out of either arable crops or grassland to bioenergy production. Conversions from arable land to energy trees led to particularly strong benefits, providing an insight into how future LUC to non-food bioenergy crops could support biodiversity. There were inadequate data to complete a meta-analysis on the effects of non-food bioenergy crops on cultural ecosystem services, and few generalizable conclusions from a systematic review of the literature, however, findings highlight the importance of landscape context and planting strategies in determining impact. Our findings demonstrate improved farm-scale biodiversity on agricultural land with non-food bioenergy crops, but also limited knowledge concerning public response to this LUC, which could prove crucial to the successful expansion of bioenergy to meet the Paris targets.
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- 2021
16. The genetic basis of water-use efficiency and yield in lettuce.
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Damerum, Annabelle, Smith, Hazel K, Clarkson, Gjj, Truco, Maria José, Michelmore, Richard W, and Taylor, Gail
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Carbon isotope discrimination ,Crop breeding ,Lactuca sativa ,Leafy vegetable ,Quantitative trait loci ,Salad ,Sustainable agriculture ,Water‐use efficiency ,Water-use efficiency ,Plant Biology & Botany ,Microbiology ,Plant Biology ,Crop and Pasture Production - Abstract
BackgroundWater supply limits agricultural productivity of many crops including lettuce. Identifying cultivars within crop species that can maintain productivity with reduced water supply is a significant challenge, but central to developing resilient crops for future water-limited climates. We investigated traits known to be related to water-use efficiency (WUE) and yield in lettuce, a globally important leafy salad crop, in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) lettuce mapping population, produced from a cross between the cultivated Lactuca sativa L. cv. Salinas and its wild progenitor L. serriola L.ResultsWild and cultivated lettuce differed in their WUE and we observed transgressive segregation in yield and water-use traits in the RILs. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis identified genomic regions controlling these traits under well-watered and droughted conditions. QTL were detected for carbon isotope discrimination, transpiration, stomatal conductance, leaf temperature and yield, controlling 4-23 % of the phenotypic variation. A QTL hotspot was identified on chromosome 8 that controlled carbon isotope discrimination, stomatal conductance and yield under drought. Several promising candidate genes in this region were associated with WUE, including aquaporins, late embryogenesis abundant proteins, an abscisic acid-responsive element binding protein and glutathione S-transferases involved in redox homeostasis following drought stress were also identified.ConclusionsFor the first time, we have characterised the genetic basis of WUE of lettuce, a commercially important and water demanding crop. We have identified promising candidate genomic regions determining WUE and yield under well-watered and water-limiting conditions, providing important pre-breeding data for future lettuce selection and breeding where water productivity will be a key target.
- Published
- 2021
17. A net-zero storyline for success? News media analysis of the social legitimacy of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the United Kingdom
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Donnison, Caspar L., Trdlicova, Karolina, Mohr, Alison, and Taylor, Gail
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- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Finding the win–wins for energy, negative emissions and ecosystem services—size matters
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Donnison, Caspar, Holland, Robert A, Hastings, Astley, Armstrong, Lindsay‐Marie, Eigenbrod, Felix, and Taylor, Gail
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Clinical Research ,Health Services ,Climate Action ,Life on Land ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,BECCS ,bioenergy crops ,carbon capture and storage ,climate change ,ecosystem service ,land-use change ,negative emissions ,trade-offs ,Agricultural Biotechnology - Abstract
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) features heavily in the energy scenarios designed to meet the Paris Agreement targets, but the models used to generate these scenarios do not address environmental and social implications of BECCS at the regional scale. We integrate ecosystem service values into a land-use optimization tool to determine the favourability of six potential UK locations for a 500 MW BECCS power plant operating on local biomass resources. Annually, each BECCS plant requires 2.33 Mt of biomass and generates 2.99 Mt CO2 of negative emissions and 3.72 TWh of electricity. We make three important discoveries: (a) the impacts of BECCS on ecosystem services are spatially discrete, with the most favourable locations for UK BECCS identified at Drax and Easington, where net annual welfare values (from the basket of ecosystems services quantified) of £39 and £25 million were generated, respectively, with notably lower annual welfare values at Barrow (−£6 million) and Thames (£2 million); (b) larger BECCS deployment beyond 500 MW reduces net social welfare values, with a 1 GW BECCS plant at Drax generating a net annual welfare value of £19 million (a 50% decline compared with the 500 MW deployment), and a welfare loss at all other sites; (c) BECCS can be deployed to generate net welfare gains, but trade-offs and co-benefits between ecosystem services are highly site and context specific, and these landscape-scale, site-specific impacts should be central to future BECCS policy developments. For the United Kingdom, meeting the Paris Agreement targets through reliance on BECCS requires over 1 GW at each of the six locations considered here and is likely, therefore, to result in a significant welfare loss. This implies that an increased number of smaller BECCS deployments will be needed to ensure a win–win for energy, negative emissions and ecosystem services.
- Published
- 2020
19. The influence of the global electric power system on terrestrial biodiversity
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Holland, Robert A, Scott, Kate, Agnolucci, Paolo, Rapti, Chrysanthi, Eigenbrod, Felix, and Taylor, Gail
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Climate Action ,Biodiversity ,Climate Change ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Ecosystem ,Electric Power Supplies ,Electricity ,Europe ,Greenhouse Gases ,Renewable Energy ,Solar Energy ,Wind ,biodiversity ,energy ,climate change ,conservation ,sustainability - Abstract
Given its total contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the global electric power sector will be required to undergo a fundamental transformation over the next decades to limit anthropogenic climate change to below 2 °C. Implications for biodiversity of projected structural changes in the global electric power sector are rarely considered beyond those explicitly linked to climate change. This study uses a spatially explicit consumption-based accounting framework to examine the impact of demand for electric power on terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity globally. We demonstrate that the biodiversity footprint of the electric power sector is primarily within the territory where final demand for electric power resides, although there are substantial regional differences, with Europe displacing its biodiversity threat along international supply chains. The relationship between size of individual components of the electric power sector and threat to biodiversity indicates that a shift to nonfossil sources, such as solar and wind, could reduce pressures on biodiversity both within the territory where demand for power resides and along international supply chains. However, given the current levels of deployment of nonfossil sources of power, there is considerable uncertainty as to how the impacts of structural changes in the global electric power system will scale. Given the strong territorial link between demand and associated biodiversity impacts, development of strong national governance around the electric power sector represents a clear route to mitigate threats to biodiversity associated with efforts to decarbonize society over the coming century.
- Published
- 2019
20. Single primer enrichment technology as a tool for massive genotyping: a benchmark on black poplar and maize
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Scaglione, Davide, Pinosio, Sara, Marroni, Fabio, Di Centa, Eleonora, Fornasiero, Alice, Magris, Gabriele, Scalabrin, Simone, Cattonaro, Federica, Taylor, Gail, and Morgante, Michele
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Biotechnology ,Human Genome ,Genetics ,Benchmarking ,Genotype ,Genotyping Techniques ,Humans ,Polymorphism ,Single Nucleotide ,Populus ,Reproducibility of Results ,Zea mays ,SPET ,Allegro ,genotyping-by-sequencing ,targeted genotyping ,bioenergy crops ,Populus nigra ,SNP ,GWAS ,Populus nigra ,Zea mays ,Ecology ,Plant Biology ,Forestry Sciences ,Plant Biology & Botany - Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The advent of molecular breeding is advocated to improve the productivity and sustainability of second-generation bioenergy crops. Advanced molecular breeding in bioenergy crops relies on the ability to massively sample the genetic diversity. Genotyping-by-sequencing has become a widely adopted method for cost-effective genotyping. It basically requires no initial investment for design as compared with array-based platforms which have been shown to offer very robust assays. The latter, however, has the drawback of being limited to analyse only the genetic diversity accounted during selection of a set of polymorphisms and design of the assay. In contrast, genotyping-by-sequencing with random sampling of genomic loci via restriction enzymes or random priming has been shown to be fast and convenient but lacks the ability to target specific regions of the genome and to maintain high reproducibility across laboratories. METHODS:Here we present a first adoption of single-primer enrichment technology (SPET) which provides a highly efficient and scalable system to obtain targeted sequence-based large genotyping data sets, bridging the gaps between array-based systems and traditional sequencing-based protocols. To fully explore SPET performance, we conducted a benchmark study in ten Zea mays lines and a large-scale study of a natural black poplar population of 540 individuals with the aim of discovering polymorphisms associated with biomass-related traits. KEY RESULTS:Our results showed the ability of this technology to provide dense genotype information on a customized panel of selected polymorphisms, while yielding hundreds of thousands of untargeted variable sites. This provided an ideal resource for association analysis of natural populations harbouring unexplored allelic diversities and structure such as in black poplar. CONCLUSION:The improvement of sequencing throughput and the development of efficient library preparation methods has made it feasible to carry out targeted genotyping-by-sequencing experiments cost-competitively with either random complexity reduction systems or traditional array-based platforms, while maintaining the key advantages of both technologies.
- Published
- 2019
21. Breeding progress and preparedness for mass‐scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar
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Clifton‐Brown, John, Harfouche, Antoine, Casler, Michael D, Jones, Huw Dylan, Macalpine, William J, Murphy‐Bokern, Donal, Smart, Lawrence B, Adler, Anneli, Ashman, Chris, Awty‐Carroll, Danny, Bastien, Catherine, Bopper, Sebastian, Botnari, Vasile, Brancourt‐Hulmel, Maryse, Chen, Zhiyong, Clark, Lindsay V, Cosentino, Salvatore, Dalton, Sue, Davey, Chris, Dolstra, Oene, Donnison, Iain, Flavell, Richard, Greef, Joerg, Hanley, Steve, Hastings, Astley, Hertzberg, Magnus, Hsu, Tsai‐Wen, Huang, Lin S, Iurato, Antonella, Jensen, Elaine, Jin, Xiaoli, Jørgensen, Uffe, Kiesel, Andreas, Kim, Do‐Soon, Liu, Jianxiu, McCalmont, Jon P, McMahon, Bernard G, Mos, Michal, Robson, Paul, Sacks, Erik J, Sandu, Anatolii, Scalici, Giovanni, Schwarz, Kai, Scordia, Danilo, Shafiei, Reza, Shield, Ian, Slavov, Gancho, Stanton, Brian J, Swaminathan, Kankshita, Taylor, Gail, Torres, Andres F, Trindade, Luisa M, Tschaplinski, Timothy, Tuskan, Gerald A, Yamada, Toshihiko, Yu, Chang Yeon, Zalesny, Ronald S, Zong, Junqin, and Lewandowski, Iris
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Affordable and Clean Energy ,bioenergy ,feedstocks ,lignocellulose ,M. sacchariflorus ,M. sinensis ,Miscanthus ,Panicum virgatum ,perennial biomass crop ,Populus spp. ,Salix spp. ,M. sacchariflorus ,M. sinensis ,Agricultural Biotechnology - Abstract
Genetic improvement through breeding is one of the key approaches to increasing biomass supply. This paper documents the breeding progress to date for four perennial biomass crops (PBCs) that have high output-input energy ratios: namely Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), species of the genera Miscanthus (miscanthus), Salix (willow) and Populus (poplar). For each crop, we report on the size of germplasm collections, the efforts to date to phenotype and genotype, the diversity available for breeding and on the scale of breeding work as indicated by number of attempted crosses. We also report on the development of faster and more precise breeding using molecular breeding techniques. Poplar is the model tree for genetic studies and is furthest ahead in terms of biological knowledge and genetic resources. Linkage maps, transgenesis and genome editing methods are now being used in commercially focused poplar breeding. These are in development in switchgrass, miscanthus and willow generating large genetic and phenotypic data sets requiring concomitant efforts in informatics to create summaries that can be accessed and used by practical breeders. Cultivars of switchgrass and miscanthus can be seed-based synthetic populations, semihybrids or clones. Willow and poplar cultivars are commercially deployed as clones. At local and regional level, the most advanced cultivars in each crop are at technology readiness levels which could be scaled to planting rates of thousands of hectares per year in about 5 years with existing commercial developers. Investment in further development of better cultivars is subject to current market failure and the long breeding cycles. We conclude that sustained public investment in breeding plays a key role in delivering future mass-scale deployment of PBCs.
- Published
- 2019
22. FACE facts hold for multiple generations; Evidence from natural CO2 springs
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Saban, Jasmine M, Chapman, Mark A, and Taylor, Gail
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Climate Action ,Acclimatization ,Carbon Dioxide ,Ecosystem ,Environment ,Natural Springs ,Photosynthesis ,Plant Leaves ,Plants ,atmospheric CO2 ,climate change ,meta-analysis ,natural CO2 spring ,plant adaptation ,plant response ,plasticity ,Environmental Sciences ,Biological Sciences ,Ecology - Abstract
Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration is a key driver of enhanced global greening, thought to account for up to 70% of increased global vegetation in recent decades. CO2 fertilization effects have further profound implications for ecosystems, food security and biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. However, it is also possible that current trends will not continue, due to ecosystem level constraints and as plants acclimate to future CO2 concentrations. Future predictions of plant response to rising [CO2 ] are often validated using single-generation short-term FACE (Free Air CO2 Enrichment) experiments but whether this accurately represents vegetation response over decades is unclear. The role of transgenerational plasticity and adaptation in the multigenerational response has yet to be elucidated. Here, we propose that naturally occurring high CO2 springs provide a proxy to quantify the multigenerational and long-term impacts of rising [CO2 ] in herbaceous and woody species respectively, such that plasticity, transgenerational effects and genetic adaptation can be quantified together in these systems. In this first meta-analysis of responses to elevated [CO2 ] at natural CO2 springs, we show that the magnitude and direction of change in eight of nine functional plant traits are consistent between spring and FACE experiments. We found increased photosynthesis (49.8% in spring experiments, comparable to 32.1% in FACE experiments) and leaf starch (58.6% spring, 84.3% FACE), decreased stomatal conductance (gs , 27.2% spring, 21.1% FACE), leaf nitrogen content (6.3% spring, 13.3% FACE) and Specific Leaf Area (SLA, 9.7% spring, 6.0% FACE). These findings not only validate the use of these sites for studying multigenerational plant response to elevated [CO2 ], but additionally suggest that long-term positive photosynthetic response to rising [CO2 ] are likely to continue as predicted by single-generation exposure FACE experiments.
- Published
- 2019
23. Breeding progress and preparedness for mass-scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar.
- Author
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Clifton-Brown, John, Harfouche, Antoine, Casler, Michael D, Dylan Jones, Huw, Macalpine, William J, Murphy-Bokern, Donal, Smart, Lawrence B, Adler, Anneli, Ashman, Chris, Awty-Carroll, Danny, Bastien, Catherine, Bopper, Sebastian, Botnari, Vasile, Brancourt-Hulmel, Maryse, Chen, Zhiyong, Clark, Lindsay V, Cosentino, Salvatore, Dalton, Sue, Davey, Chris, Dolstra, Oene, Donnison, Iain, Flavell, Richard, Greef, Joerg, Hanley, Steve, Hastings, Astley, Hertzberg, Magnus, Hsu, Tsai-Wen, Huang, Lin S, Iurato, Antonella, Jensen, Elaine, Jin, Xiaoli, Jørgensen, Uffe, Kiesel, Andreas, Kim, Do-Soon, Liu, Jianxiu, McCalmont, Jon P, McMahon, Bernard G, Mos, Michal, Robson, Paul, Sacks, Erik J, Sandu, Anatolii, Scalici, Giovanni, Schwarz, Kai, Scordia, Danilo, Shafiei, Reza, Shield, Ian, Slavov, Gancho, Stanton, Brian J, Swaminathan, Kankshita, Taylor, Gail, Torres, Andres F, Trindade, Luisa M, Tschaplinski, Timothy, Tuskan, Gerald A, Yamada, Toshihiko, Yeon Yu, Chang, Zalesny, Ronald S, Zong, Junqin, and Lewandowski, Iris
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M. sacchariflorus ,M. sinensis ,Miscanthus ,Panicum virgatum ,Populus spp. ,Salix spp. ,bioenergy ,feedstocks ,lignocellulose ,perennial biomass crop ,M. sacchariflorus ,M. sinensis ,Agricultural Biotechnology - Abstract
Genetic improvement through breeding is one of the key approaches to increasing biomass supply. This paper documents the breeding progress to date for four perennial biomass crops (PBCs) that have high output-input energy ratios: namely Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), species of the genera Miscanthus (miscanthus), Salix (willow) and Populus (poplar). For each crop, we report on the size of germplasm collections, the efforts to date to phenotype and genotype, the diversity available for breeding and on the scale of breeding work as indicated by number of attempted crosses. We also report on the development of faster and more precise breeding using molecular breeding techniques. Poplar is the model tree for genetic studies and is furthest ahead in terms of biological knowledge and genetic resources. Linkage maps, transgenesis and genome editing methods are now being used in commercially focused poplar breeding. These are in development in switchgrass, miscanthus and willow generating large genetic and phenotypic data sets requiring concomitant efforts in informatics to create summaries that can be accessed and used by practical breeders. Cultivars of switchgrass and miscanthus can be seed-based synthetic populations, semihybrids or clones. Willow and poplar cultivars are commercially deployed as clones. At local and regional level, the most advanced cultivars in each crop are at technology readiness levels which could be scaled to planting rates of thousands of hectares per year in about 5 years with existing commercial developers. Investment in further development of better cultivars is subject to current market failure and the long breeding cycles. We conclude that sustained public investment in breeding plays a key role in delivering future mass-scale deployment of PBCs.
- Published
- 2019
24. Genes and gene clusters related to genotype and drought-induced variation in saccharification potential, lignin content and wood anatomical traits in Populus nigra
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Wildhagen, Henning, Paul, Shanty, Allwright, Mike, Smith, Hazel K, Malinowska, Marta, Schnabel, Sabine K, Paulo, M João, Cattonaro, Federica, Vendramin, Vera, Scalabrin, Simone, Janz, Dennis, Douthe, Cyril, Brendel, Oliver, Buré, Cyril, Cohen, David, Hummel, Irène, Le Thiec, Didier, van Eeuwijk, Fred, Keurentjes, Joost JB, Flexas, Jaume, Morgante, Michele, Robson, Paul, Bogeat-Triboulot, Marie-Béatrice, Taylor, Gail, and Polle, Andrea
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Genetics ,Droughts ,Gene Expression ,Genes ,Plant ,Genotype ,Hydrolysis ,Lignin ,Multigene Family ,Polysaccharides ,Populus ,Wood ,biofuels ,cell wall ,drought ,genotypic variation ,glucose release ,lignin ,saccharification ,wood traits ,Ecology ,Plant Biology ,Forestry Sciences ,Plant Biology & Botany - Abstract
Wood is a renewable resource that can be employed for the production of second generation biofuels by enzymatic saccharification and subsequent fermentation. Knowledge on how the saccharification potential is affected by genotype-related variation of wood traits and drought is scarce. Here, we used three Populus nigra L. genotypes from habitats differing in water availability to (i) investigate the relationships between wood anatomy, lignin content and saccharification and (ii) identify genes and co-expressed gene clusters related to genotype and drought-induced variation in wood traits and saccharification potential. The three poplar genotypes differed in wood anatomy, lignin content and saccharification potential. Drought resulted in reduced cambial activity, decreased vessel and fiber lumina, and increased the saccharification potential. The saccharification potential was unrelated to lignin content as well as to most wood anatomical traits. RNA sequencing of the developing xylem revealed that 1.5% of the analyzed genes were differentially expressed in response to drought, while 67% differed among the genotypes. Weighted gene correlation network analysis identified modules of co-expressed genes correlated with saccharification potential. These modules were enriched in gene ontology terms related to cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis and modification and vesicle transport, but not to lignin biosynthesis. Among the most strongly saccharification-correlated genes, those with regulatory functions, especially kinases, were prominent. We further identified transcription factors whose transcript abundances differed among genotypes, and which were co-regulated with genes for biosynthesis and modifications of hemicelluloses and pectin. Overall, our study suggests that the regulation of pectin and hemicellulose metabolism is a promising target for improving wood quality of second generation bioenergy crops. The causal relationship of the identified genes and pathways with saccharification potential needs to be validated in further experiments.
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- 2018
25. Biomass traits and candidate genes for bioenergy revealed through association genetics in coppiced European Populus nigra (L.)
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Allwright, Mike Robert, Payne, Adrienne, Emiliani, Giovanni, Milner, Suzanne, Viger, Maud, Rouse, Franchesca, Keurentjes, Joost JB, Bérard, Aurélie, Wildhagen, Henning, Faivre-Rampant, Patricia, Polle, Andrea, Morgante, Michele, and Taylor, Gail
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Genetics ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,Short rotation coppice ,Yield ,Lignocellulosic ,Salicaceae ,Leaf area - Abstract
BackgroundSecond generation (2G) bioenergy from lignocellulosic feedstocks has the potential to develop as a sustainable source of renewable energy; however, significant hurdles still remain for large-scale commercialisation. Populus is considered as a promising 2G feedstock and understanding the genetic basis of biomass yield and feedstock quality are a research priority in this model tree species.ResultsWe report the first coppiced biomass study for 714 members of a wide population of European black poplar (Populus nigra L.), a native European tree, selected from 20 river populations ranging in latitude and longitude between 40.5 and 52.1°N and 1.0 and 16.4°E, respectively. When grown at a single site in southern UK, significant Site of Origin (SO) effects were seen for 14 of the 15 directly measured or derived traits including biomass yield, leaf area and stomatal index. There was significant correlation (p
- Published
- 2016
26. Characterization of the watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.; Brassicaceae) transcriptome using RNASeq and identification of candidate genes for important phytonutrient traits linked to human health
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Voutsina, Nikol, Payne, Adrienne C, Hancock, Robert D, Clarkson, Graham JJ, Rothwell, Steve D, Chapman, Mark A, and Taylor, Gail
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Genetics ,Generic health relevance ,Antioxidants ,Computational Biology ,Gene Expression Profiling ,Genes ,Plant ,Glucosinolates ,High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ,Humans ,Molecular Sequence Annotation ,Nasturtium ,Phenotype ,Phylogeny ,Phytochemicals ,Plants ,Edible ,Polymorphism ,Genetic ,Quantitative Trait ,Heritable ,Signal Transduction ,Transcriptome ,Watercress ,Nasturtium officinale ,Brassicaceae ,RNASeq ,de novo assembly ,Differential expression ,Antioxidant capacity ,Gluconasturtiin ,Phenylpropanoid pathway ,Biological Sciences ,Information and Computing Sciences ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Bioinformatics - Abstract
BackgroundConsuming watercress is thought to provide health benefits as a consequence of its phytonutrient composition. However, for watercress there are currently limited genetic resources underpinning breeding efforts for either yield or phytonutritional traits. In this paper, we use RNASeq data from twelve watercress accessions to characterize the transcriptome, perform candidate gene mining and conduct differential expression analysis for two key phytonutritional traits: antioxidant (AO) capacity and glucosinolate (GLS) content.ResultsThe watercress transcriptome was assembled to 80,800 transcripts (48,732 unigenes); 71 % of which were annotated based on orthology to Arabidopsis. Differential expression analysis comparing watercress accessions with 'high' and 'low' AO and GLS resulted in 145 and 94 differentially expressed loci for AO capacity and GLS respectively. Differentially expressed loci between high and low AO watercress were significantly enriched for genes involved in plant defence and response to stimuli, in line with the observation that AO are involved in plant stress-response. Differential expression between the high and low GLS watercress identified links to GLS regulation and also novel transcripts warranting further investigation. Additionally, we successfully identified watercress orthologs for Arabidopsis phenylpropanoid, GLS and shikimate biosynthesis pathway genes, and compiled a catalogue of polymorphic markers for future applications.ConclusionsOur work describes the first transcriptome of watercress and establishes the foundation for further molecular study by providing valuable resources, including sequence data, annotated transcripts, candidate genes and markers.
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- 2016
27. Characterization of the Poplar Pan-Genome by Genome-Wide Identification of Structural Variation
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Pinosio, Sara, Giacomello, Stefania, Faivre-Rampant, Patricia, Taylor, Gail, Jorge, Veronique, Le Paslier, Marie Christine, Zaina, Giusi, Bastien, Catherine, Cattonaro, Federica, Marroni, Fabio, and Morgante, Michele
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Human Genome ,Genetics ,DNA Copy Number Variations ,Genes ,Plant ,Genome ,Plant ,Genome-Wide Association Study ,Genomics ,INDEL Mutation ,Populus ,Structure-Activity Relationship ,structural variation ,pan-genome ,transposable elements ,poplar ,Biochemistry and Cell Biology ,Evolutionary Biology - Abstract
Many recent studies have emphasized the important role of structural variation (SV) in determining human genetic and phenotypic variation. In plants, studies aimed at elucidating the extent of SV are still in their infancy. Evidence has indicated a high presence and an active role of SV in driving plant genome evolution in different plant species.With the aim of characterizing the size and the composition of the poplar pan-genome, we performed a genome-wide analysis of structural variation in three intercrossable poplar species: Populus nigra, Populus deltoides, and Populus trichocarpa We detected a total of 7,889 deletions and 10,586 insertions relative to the P. trichocarpa reference genome, covering respectively 33.2 Mb and 62.9 Mb of genomic sequence, and 3,230 genes affected by copy number variation (CNV). The majority of the detected variants are inter-specific in agreement with a recent origin following separation of species.Insertions and deletions (INDELs) were preferentially located in low-gene density regions of the poplar genome and were, for the majority, associated with the activity of transposable elements. Genes affected by SV showed lower-than-average expression levels and higher levels of dN/dS, suggesting that they are subject to relaxed selective pressure or correspond to pseudogenes.Functional annotation of genes affected by INDELs showed over-representation of categories associated with transposable elements activity, while genes affected by genic CNVs showed enrichment in categories related to resistance to stress and pathogens. This study provides a genome-wide catalogue of SV and the first insight on functional and structural properties of the poplar pan-genome.
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- 2016
28. Adaptive mechanisms and genomic plasticity for drought tolerance identified in European black poplar (Populus nigra L.).
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Viger, Maud, Smith, Hazel, Cohen, David, Dewoody, Jennifer, Trewin, Harriet, Steenackers, Marijke, Bastien, Catherine, and Taylor, Gail
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carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) ,microarray ,stomatal number ,water deficit ,Adaptation ,Physiological ,Biomass ,Down-Regulation ,Droughts ,France ,Gene Expression ,Gene Expression Regulation ,Plant ,Genes ,Plant ,Genome ,Plant ,Genotype ,Italy ,Phenotype ,Plant Leaves ,Plant Stomata ,Plant Transpiration ,Populus ,Spain ,Stress ,Physiological ,Trees ,Water - Abstract
Summer droughts are likely to increase in frequency and intensity across Europe, yet long-lived trees may have a limited ability to tolerate drought. It is therefore critical that we improve our understanding of phenotypic plasticity to drought in natural populations for ecologically and economically important trees such as Populus nigra L. A common garden experiment was conducted using ∼500 wild P. nigra trees, collected from 11 river populations across Europe. Phenotypic variation was found across the collection, with southern genotypes from Spain and France characterized by small leaves and limited biomass production. To examine the relationship between phenotypic variation and drought tolerance, six genotypes with contrasting leaf morphologies were subjected to a water deficit experiment. North eastern genotypes were collected at wet sites and responded to water deficit with reduced biomass growth, slow stomatal closure and reduced water use efficiency (WUE) assessed by Δ(13)C. In contrast, southern genotypes originating from arid sites showed rapid stomatal closure, improved WUE and limited leaf loss. Transcriptome analyses of a genotype from Spain (Sp2, originating from an arid site) and another from northern Italy (Ita, originating from a wet site) revealed dramatic differences in gene expression response to water deficit. Transcripts controlling leaf development and stomatal patterning, including SPCH, ANT, ER, AS1, AS2, PHB, CLV1, ERL1-3 and TMM, were down-regulated in Ita but not in Sp2 in response to drought.
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- 2016
29. Potential impacts on ecosystem services of land use transitions to second‐generation bioenergy crops in GB
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Milner, Suzanne, Holland, Robert A, Lovett, Andrew, Sunnenberg, Gilla, Hastings, Astley, Smith, Pete, Wang, Shifeng, and Taylor, Gail
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Life on Land ,biofuel crops ,ecological processes ,ecosystem services ,GIS ,land use ,Miscanthus ,short-rotation coppice ,short-rotationforestry ,sustainability ,trade-offs ,short‐rotation coppice ,short‐rotation forestry ,trade‐offs ,Agricultural Biotechnology - Abstract
We present the first assessment of the impact of land use change (LUC) to second-generation (2G) bioenergy crops on ecosystem services (ES) resolved spatially for Great Britain (GB). A systematic approach was used to assess available evidence on the impacts of LUC from arable, semi-improved grassland or woodland/forest, to 2G bioenergy crops, for which a quantitative 'threat matrix' was developed. The threat matrix was used to estimate potential impacts of transitions to either Miscanthus, short-rotation coppice (SRC, willow and poplar) or short-rotation forestry (SRF). The ES effects were found to be largely dependent on previous land uses rather than the choice of 2G crop when assessing the technical potential of available biomass with a transition from arable crops resulting in the most positive effect on ES. Combining these data with constraint masks and available land for SRC and Miscanthus (SRF omitted from this stage due to lack of data), south-west and north-west England were identified as areas where Miscanthus and SRC could be grown, respectively, with favourable combinations of economic viability, carbon sequestration, high yield and positive ES benefits. This study also suggests that not all prospective planting of Miscanthus and SRC can be allocated to agricultural land class (ALC) ALC 3 and ALC 4 and suitable areas of ALC 5 are only minimally available. Beneficial impacts were found on 146 583 and 71 890 ha when planting Miscanthus or SRC, respectively, under baseline planting conditions rising to 293 247 and 91 318 ha, respectively, under 2020 planting scenarios. The results provide an insight into the interplay between land availability, original land uses, bioenergy crop type and yield in determining overall positive or negative impacts of bioenergy cropping on ecosystems services and go some way towards developing a framework for quantifying wider ES impacts of this important LUC.
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- 2016
30. Global impacts of energy demand on the freshwater resources of nations
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Holland, Robert Alan, Scott, Kate A, Flörke, Martina, Brown, Gareth, Ewers, Robert M, Farmer, Elizabeth, Kapos, Valerie, Muggeridge, Ann, Scharlemann, Jörn PW, Taylor, Gail, Barrett, John, and Eigenbrod, Felix
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Clean Water and Sanitation ,Affordable and Clean Energy ,Conservation of Energy Resources ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Environment ,Fresh Water ,Geography ,Greenhouse Effect ,Industry ,Petroleum ,Public Policy ,Rivers ,Water Supply ,energy ,freshwater ,nexus ,MRIO ,sustainability - Abstract
The growing geographic disconnect between consumption of goods, the extraction and processing of resources, and the environmental impacts associated with production activities makes it crucial to factor global trade into sustainability assessments. Using an empirically validated environmentally extended global trade model, we examine the relationship between two key resources underpinning economies and human well--being-energy and freshwater. A comparison of three energy sectors (petroleum, gas, and electricity) reveals that freshwater consumption associated with gas and electricity production is largely confined within the territorial boundaries where demand originates. This finding contrasts with petroleum, which exhibits a varying ratio of territorial to international freshwater consumption, depending on the origin of demand. For example, although the United States and China have similar demand associated with the petroleum sector, international freshwater consumption is three times higher for the former than the latter. Based on mapping patterns of freshwater consumption associated with energy sectors at subnational scales, our analysis also reveals concordance between pressure on freshwater resources associated with energy production and freshwater scarcity in a number of river basins globally. These energy-driven pressures on freshwater resources in areas distant from the origin of energy demand complicate the design of policy to ensure security of fresh water and energy supply. Although much of the debate around energy is focused on greenhouse gas emissions, our findings highlight the need to consider the full range of consequences of energy production when designing policy.
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- 2015
31. Diversity in global gene expression and morphology across a watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) germplasm collection: first steps to breeding
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Payne, Adrienne C, Clarkson, Graham JJ, Rothwell, Steve, and Taylor, Gail
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Genetics ,Human Genome ,Stem Cell Research - Abstract
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.) is a nutrient intense, leafy crop that is consumed raw or in soups across the globe, but for which, currently no genomic resources or breeding programme exists. Promising morphological, biochemical and functional genomic variation was identified for the first time in a newly established watercress germplasm collection, consisting of 48 watercress accessions sourced from contrasting global locations. Stem length, stem diameter and anti-oxidant (AO) potential varied across the accessions. This variation was used to identify three extreme contrasting accessions for further analysis. Variation in global gene expression was investigated using an Affymetrix Arabidopsis ATH1 microarray gene chip, using the commercial control (C), an accession selected for dwarf phenotype with a high AO potential (dwarfAO, called 'Boldrewood') and one with high AO potential alone. A set of transcripts significantly differentially expressed between these three accessions, were identified, including transcripts involved in the regulation of growth and development and those involved in secondary metabolism. In particular, when differential gene expression was compared between C and dwarfAO, the dwarfAO was characterised by increased expression of genes encoding glucosinolates, which are known precursors of phenethyl isothiocyanate, linked to the anti-carcinogenic effects well-documented in watercress. This study provides the first analysis of natural variation across the watercress genome and has identified important underpinning information for future breeding for enhanced anti-carcinogenic properties and morphology traits in this nutrient-intense crop.
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- 2015
32. Elucidating the genetic basis of antioxidant status in lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
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Damerum, Annabelle, Selmes, Stacey L, Biggi, Gaia F, Clarkson, Graham JJ, Rothwell, Steve D, Truco, Maria José, Michelmore, Richard W, Hancock, Robert D, Shellcock, Connie, Chapman, Mark A, and Taylor, Gail
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Nutrition ,Genetics ,Complementary and Integrative Health - Abstract
A diet rich in phytonutrients from fruit and vegetables has been acknowledged to afford protection against a range of human diseases, but many of the most popular vegetables are low in phytonutrients. Wild relatives of crops may contain allelic variation for genes determining the concentrations of these beneficial phytonutrients, and therefore understanding the genetic basis of this variation is important for breeding efforts to enhance nutritional quality. In this study, lettuce recombinant inbred lines, generated from a cross between wild and cultivated lettuce (Lactuca serriola and Lactuca sativa, respectively), were analysed for antioxidant (AO) potential and important phytonutrients including carotenoids, chlorophyll and phenolic compounds. When grown in two environments, 96 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for these nutritional traits: 4 for AO potential, 2 for carotenoid content, 3 for total chlorophyll content and 87 for individual phenolic compounds (two per compound on average). Most often, the L. serriola alleles conferred an increase in total AOs and metabolites. Candidate genes underlying these QTL were identified by BLASTn searches; in several cases, these had functions suggesting involvement in phytonutrient biosynthetic pathways. Analysis of a QTL on linkage group 3, which accounted for >30% of the variation in AO potential, revealed several candidate genes encoding multiple MYB transcription factors which regulate flavonoid biosynthesis and flavanone 3-hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol, which are known to have powerful AO activity. Follow-up quantitative RT-PCR of these candidates revealed that 5 out of 10 genes investigated were significantly differentially expressed between the wild and cultivated parents, providing further evidence of their potential involvement in determining the contrasting phenotypes. These results offer exciting opportunities to improve the nutritional content and health benefits of lettuce through marker-assisted breeding.
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- 2015
33. Genetic and morphological differentiation in Populus nigra L.: isolation by colonization or isolation by adaptation?
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DeWoody, Jennifer, Trewin, Harriet, and Taylor, Gail
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Adaptation ,Physiological ,Climate ,Ecotype ,Europe ,Evolution ,Molecular ,Gene Pool ,Genetic Variation ,Genetics ,Population ,Microsatellite Repeats ,Phenotype ,Populus ,Quantitative Trait ,Heritable ,biomass ,common garden experiment ,European black poplar ,leaf size ,microsatellites ,Biological Sciences ,Evolutionary Biology - Abstract
Identifying processes underlying the genetic and morphological differences among populations is a central question of evolutionary biology. Forest trees typically contain high levels of neutral genetic variation, and genetic differences are often correlated with geographic distance between populations [isolation by distance (IBD)] or are due to historic vicariance events [isolation by colonization (IBC)]. In contrast, morphological differences are largely due to local adaptation. Here, we examined genetic (microsatellite) and morphological (from a common garden experiment) variation in Populus nigra L., European black poplar, collected from 13 sites across western Europe and grown in a common garden in Belgium. Significant genetic differentiation was observed, with populations from France displaying greater admixture than the distinct Spanish and central European gene pools, consistent with previously described glacial refugia (IBC). Many quantitative traits displayed a bimodal distribution, approximately corresponding to small-leaf and large-leaf ecotypes. Examination of nine climatic variables revealed the sampling locations to have diverse climates, and although the correlation between morphological and climatic differences was significant, the pattern was not consistent with strict local adaptation. Partial Mantel tests based on multivariate summary statistics identified significant residual correlation in comparisons of small-leaf to large-leaf ecotypes, and within the small-leaf samples, but not within large-leaf ecotypes, indicating that variation within the small-leaf morphotype in particular may be adaptive. Some small-leaf populations experience climates very similar to those in large-leaf sites. We conclude that adaptive differentiation and persistent IBC acted in combination to produce the genetic and morphological patterns observed in P. nigra.
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- 2015
34. Automatic detection of regions in spinach canopies responding to soil moisture deficit using combined visible and thermal imagery.
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Raza, Shan-e-Ahmed, Smith, Hazel K, Clarkson, Graham JJ, Taylor, Gail, Thompson, Andrew J, Clarkson, John, and Rajpoot, Nasir M
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Spinacia oleracea ,Plant Leaves ,Crops ,Agricultural ,Soil ,Imaging ,Three-Dimensional ,Probability ,Regression Analysis ,Normal Distribution ,Humidity ,Temperature ,Principal Component Analysis ,Automation ,Agricultural Irrigation ,Support Vector Machine ,Crops ,Agricultural ,Imaging ,Three-Dimensional ,General Science & Technology - Abstract
Thermal imaging has been used in the past for remote detection of regions of canopy showing symptoms of stress, including water deficit stress. Stress indices derived from thermal images have been used as an indicator of canopy water status, but these depend on the choice of reference surfaces and environmental conditions and can be confounded by variations in complex canopy structure. Therefore, in this work, instead of using stress indices, information from thermal and visible light imagery was combined along with machine learning techniques to identify regions of canopy showing a response to soil water deficit. Thermal and visible light images of a spinach canopy with different levels of soil moisture were captured. Statistical measurements from these images were extracted and used to classify between canopies growing in well-watered soil or under soil moisture deficit using Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Gaussian Processes Classifier (GPC) and a combination of both the classifiers. The classification results show a high correlation with soil moisture. We demonstrate that regions of a spinach crop responding to soil water deficit can be identified by using machine learning techniques with a high accuracy of 97%. This method could, in principle, be applied to any crop at a range of scales.
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- 2014
35. Characterizing Morphological Properties of Select Populations of Iranian Fiber Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.).
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Panahi, Shadab, Khandan-Mirkohi, Azizollah, Taylor, Gail, and Salami, Seyed Alireza
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PLANT fiber industry ,INFLORESCENCES ,GENOTYPES ,ALLELES - Abstract
In this study, we investigated important morphological traits of select populations of Iranian fiber hemp. The analysis of variance showed significant diversity among the populations. Four of the eight genotypes showed a large biomass suitable for the fiber industry. Kerman, Sirjan, Dezful, and Arak genotypes had the highest plant height and the largest stem diameter. These populations had late-flowering habits with a short inflorescence length. Our classification revealed that of the four high-fibrous candidates, three were classified in one group, comprising Kerman, Sirjan, and Dezful genotypes. The fourth one, Arak, was placed in the second group. Significantly positive correlations were observed between final plant height, footstalk diameter, and number of days to first-flower emergence. A strong correlation occurred between morphological traits and geographical data pertaining to the genotypes. Our findings indicated that a high elevation and a low average annual temperature are suitable for the growth of medicinal cannabis. Warmer weather made the plants taller with thicker stems and late blooming habits, which are more relevant for use in the fiber industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
36. Antioxidant assays – consistent findings from FRAP and ORAC reveal a negative impact of organic cultivation on antioxidant potential in spinach but not watercress or rocket leaves
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Payne, Adrienne C, Mazzer, Alice, Clarkson, Graham JJ, and Taylor, Gail
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Brassicaceae ,leafy salad crops ,organic agriculture ,rocket ,spinach ,watercress ,Food Sciences ,Nutrition and Dietetics - Abstract
Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum), wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) are commercial crops reported to have high concentrations of antioxidants, possibly contributing to disease prevention following human consumption. Following analysis of supermarket-purchased salad leaves, we report the antioxidant content potential of these species using two comparable techniques assessing the consistency between the assays - by the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The leaves were harvested from both conventionally and organically managed crops, to investigate whether organic agriculture results in improved crop quality. Watercress had the highest FRAP and ability to scavenge free radicals, followed by spinach and rocket. For watercress and rocket, there was no significant effect of organic agriculture on FRAP and ORAC, but for spinach, the antioxidant potential was reduced and this was significant at the 5% level of probability for FRAP but not ORAC, although the trend was clear in both tests. We conclude that there is variation in salad crop antioxidant potential and that FRAP and ORAC are useful techniques for measuring antioxidants in these salad crops with similar ranking for each salad crop studied.
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- 2013
37. Incorporating ecosystem services into the design of future energy systems
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Holland, Robert A., Beaumont, Nicola, Hooper, Tara, Austen, Melanie, Gross, Robert J.K., Heptonstall, Philip J., Ketsopoulou, Ioanna, Winskel, Mark, Watson, Jim, and Taylor, Gail
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- 2018
- Full Text
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38. Do energy scenarios pay sufficient attention to the environment? Lessons from the UK to support improved policy outcomes
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Hooper, Tara, Austen, Melanie C., Beaumont, Nicola, Heptonstall, Philip, Holland, Robert A., Ketsopoulou, Ioanna, Taylor, Gail, Watson, Jim, and Winskel, Mark
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
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39. Insight into the genetic components of community genetics: QTL mapping of insect association in a fast-growing forest tree.
- Author
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DeWoody, Jennifer, Viger, Maud, Lakatos, Ferenc, Tuba, Katalin, Taylor, Gail, and Smulders, Marinus JM
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Animals ,Populus ,Plant Leaves ,Trees ,Crosses ,Genetic ,Genes ,Plant ,Genome ,Plant ,Quantitative Trait Loci ,Genetic Variation ,Insecta ,Crosses ,Genetic ,Genes ,Plant ,Genome ,General Science & Technology - Abstract
Identifying genetic sequences underlying insect associations on forest trees will improve the understanding of community genetics on a broad scale. We tested for genomic regions associated with insects in hybrid poplar using quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses conducted on data from a common garden experiment. The F2 offspring of a hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoides) cross were assessed for seven categories of insect leaf damage at two time points, June and August. Positive and negative correlations were detected among damage categories and between sampling times. For example, sap suckers on leaves in June were positively correlated with sap suckers on leaves (P
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- 2013
40. Adaptation of Tree Growth to Elevated CO₂: Quantitative Trait Loci for Biomass in Populus
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Tricker, Penny J. and Taylor, Gail
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- 2007
41. Harmonised global datasets of wind and solar farm locations and power
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Dunnett, Sebastian, Sorichetta, Alessandro, Taylor, Gail, and Eigenbrod, Felix
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- 2020
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42. Study protocol for a hospital-to-home transitional care intervention for older adults with multiple chronic conditions and depressive symptoms: a pragmatic effectiveness-implementation trial
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Markle-Reid, Maureen, McAiney, Carrie, Ganann, Rebecca, Fisher, Kathryn, Gafni, Amiram, Gauthier, Alain P., Heald-Taylor, Gail, McElhaney, Janet, Ploeg, Jenny, Urajnik, Diana J., Valaitis, Ruta, and Whitmore, Carly
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- 2020
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43. FTIR-ATR-based prediction and modelling of lignin and energy contents reveals independent intra-specific variation of these traits in bioenergy poplars
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Zhou, Guanwu, Taylor, Gail, and Polle, Andrea
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Affordable and Clean Energy ,Climate Action ,Bioenergy heat value ,intraspecific variation ,lignin ,high throughput method ,FTIR spectroscopy ,Biochemistry and Cell Biology ,Plant Biology ,Agricultural Biotechnology ,Plant Biology & Botany - Abstract
BackgroundThere is an increasing demand for renewable resources to replace fossil fuels. However, different applications such as the production of secondary biofuels or combustion for energy production require different wood properties. Therefore, high-throughput methods are needed for rapid screening of wood in large scale samples, e.g., to evaluate the outcome of tree breeding or genetic engineering. In this study, we investigated the intra-specific variability of lignin and energy contents in extractive-free wood of hybrid poplar progenies (Populus trichocarpa × deltoides) and tested if the range was sufficient for the development of quantitative prediction models based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Since lignin is a major energy-bearing compound, we expected that the energy content of wood would be positively correlated with the lignin content.ResultsLignin contents of extractive-free poplar wood samples determined by the acetyl bromide method ranged from 23.4% to 32.1%, and the calorific values measured with a combustion calorimeter varied from 17260 to 19767 J g-1. For the development of calibration models partial least square regression and cross validation was applied to correlate FTIR spectra determined with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) unit to measured values of lignin or energy contents. The best models with high coefficients of determination (R2 (calibration) = 0.91 and 0.90; R2 (cross-validation) = 0.81 and 0.79) and low root mean square errors of cross validation (RMSECV = 0.77% and 62 J g-1) for lignin and energy determination, respectively, were obtained after data pre-processing and automatic wavenumber restriction. The calibration models were validated by analyses of independent sets of wood samples yielding R2 = 0.88 and 0.86 for lignin and energy contents, respectively.ConclusionsThese results show that FTIR-ATR spectroscopy is suitable as a high-throughput method for lignin and energy estimations in large data sets. Our study revealed that the intra-specific variations in lignin and energy contents were unrelated to each other and that the lignin content, therefore, was no predictor of the energy content. Employing principle component analyses we showed that factor loadings for the energy content were mainly associated with carbohydrate ring vibrations, whereas those for lignin were mainly related to aromatic compounds. Therefore, our analysis suggests that it may be possible to optimize the energy content of trees without concomitant increase in lignin.
- Published
- 2011
44. The Transcriptome of Populus in Elevated CO₂
- Author
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Taylor, Gail, Street, Nathaniel R., Tricker, Penny J., Sjödin, Andreas, Graham, Laura, Skogström, Oskar, Calfapietra, Carlo, Scarascia-Mugnozza, Giuseppe, and Jansson, Stefan
- Published
- 2005
45. Modification of cell wall properties in lettuce improves shelf life
- Author
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Wagstaff, Carol, Clarkson, Graham JJ, Zhang, Fangzhu, Rothwell, Steve D, Fry, Stephen C, Taylor, Gail, and Dixon, Mark S
- Subjects
Genetics ,Cell Membrane Permeability ,Cell Wall ,Food Handling ,Gene Expression Regulation ,Plant ,Glycosyltransferases ,Lettuce ,Plant Proteins ,Plants ,Genetically Modified ,Anti-sense ,cell wall properties ,lettuce ,shelf life ,XET ,XTH ,Plant Biology ,Crop and Pasture Production ,Plant Biology & Botany - Abstract
It is proposed that post-harvest longevity and appearance of salad crops is closely linked to pre-harvest leaf morphology (cell and leaf size) and biophysical structure (leaf strength). Transgenic lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa cv. Valeria) were produced in which the production of the cell wall-modifying enzyme xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) was down-regulated by antisense inhibition. Independently transformed lines were shown to have multiple members of the LsXTH gene family down-regulated in mature leaves of 6-week-old plants and during the course of shelf life. Consequently, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) enzyme activity and action were down-regulated in the cell walls of these leaves and it was established that leaf area and fresh weight were decreased while leaf strength was increased in the transgenic lines. Membrane permeability was reduced towards the end of shelf life in the transgenic lines relative to the controls and bacteria were evident inside the leaves of control plants only. Most importantly, an extended shelf-life of transgenic lines was observed relative to the non-transgenic control plants. These data illustrate the potential for engineering cell wall traits for improving quality and longevity of salad crops using either genetic modification directly, or by using markers associated with XTH genes to inform a commercial breeding programme.
- Published
- 2010
46. Long-Term Acclimation of Leaf Production, Development, Longevity and Quality Following 3 yr Exposure to Free-Air CO2 Enrichment during Canopy Closure in Populus
- Author
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Tricker, Penny J., Calfapietra, Carlo, Kuzminsky, Elena, Puleggi, Raffaela, Ferris, Rachel, Nathoo, Miriam, Pleasants, Laura J., Alston, Victoria, de Angelis, Paolo, and Taylor, Gail
- Published
- 2004
47. Five QTL hotspots for yield in short rotation coppice bioenergy poplar: The Poplar Biomass Loci
- Author
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Rae, Anne M, Street, Nathaniel Robert, Robinson, Kathryn Megan, Harris, Nicole, and Taylor, Gail
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Zero Hunger ,Biomass ,Breeding ,Chromosome Mapping ,Chromosomes ,Plant ,Crosses ,Genetic ,DNA ,Plant ,Genes ,Plant ,Genetic Variation ,Genome ,Plant ,Phenotype ,Populus ,Quantitative Trait Loci ,Quantitative Trait ,Heritable ,Microbiology ,Plant Biology ,Crop and Pasture Production ,Plant Biology & Botany - Abstract
BackgroundConcern over land use for non-food bioenergy crops requires breeding programmes that focus on producing biomass on the minimum amount of land that is economically-viable. To achieve this, the maximum potential yield per hectare is a key target for improvement. For long lived tree species, such as poplar, this requires an understanding of the traits that contribute to biomass production and their genetic control. An important aspect of this for long lived plants is an understanding of genetic interactions at different developmental stages, i.e. how genes or genetic regions impact on yield over time.ResultsQTL mapping identified regions of genetic control for biomass yield. We mapped consistent QTL across multiple coppice cycles and identified five robust QTL hotspots on linkage groups III, IV, X, XIV and XIX, calling these 'Poplar Biomass Loci' (PBL 1-5). In total 20% of the variation in final harvest biomass yield was explained by mapped QTL. We also investigated the genetic correlations between yield related traits to identify 'early diagnostic' indicators of yield showing that early biomass was a reasonable predictor of coppice yield and that leaf size, cell number and stem and sylleptic branch number were also valuable traits.ConclusionThese findings provide insight into the genetic control of biomass production and correlation to 'early diagnostic' traits determining yield in poplar SRC for bioenergy. QTL hotspots serve as useful targets for directed breeding for improved biomass productivity that may also be relevant across additional poplar hybrids.
- Published
- 2009
48. How can accelerated development of bioenergy contribute to the future UK energy mix? Insights from a MARKAL modelling exercise
- Author
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Clarke, Donna, Jablonski, Sophie, Moran, Brighid, Anandarajah, Gabrial, and Taylor, Gail
- Subjects
Affordable and Clean Energy - Abstract
BackgroundThis work explores the potential contribution of bioenergy technologies to 60% and 80% carbon reductions in the UK energy system by 2050, by outlining the potential for accelerated technological development of bioenergy chains. The investigation was based on insights from MARKAL modelling, detailed literature reviews and expert consultations. Due to the number and complexity of bioenergy pathways and technologies in the model, three chains and two underpinning technologies were selected for detailed investigation: (1) lignocellulosic hydrolysis for the production of bioethanol, (2) gasification technologies for heat and power, (3) fast pyrolysis of biomass for bio-oil production, (4) biotechnological advances for second generation bioenergy crops, and (5) the development of agro-machinery for growing and harvesting bioenergy crops. Detailed literature searches and expert consultations (looking inter alia at research and development needs and economic projections) led to the development of an 'accelerated' dataset of modelling parameters for each of the selected bioenergy pathways, which were included in five different scenario runs with UK-MARKAL (MED). The results of the 'accelerated runs' were compared with a low-carbon (LC-Core) scenario, which assesses the cheapest way to decarbonise the energy sector.ResultsBioenergy was deployed in larger quantities in the bioenergy accelerated technological development scenario compared with the LC-Core scenario. In the electricity sector, solid biomass was highly utilised for energy crop gasification, displacing some deployment of wind power, and nuclear and marine to a lesser extent. Solid biomass was also deployed for heat in the residential sector from 2040 in much higher quantities in the bioenergy accelerated technological development scenario compared with LC-Core. Although lignocellulosic ethanol increased, overall ethanol decreased in the transport sector in the bioenergy accelerated technological development scenario due to a reduction in ethanol produced from wheat.ConclusionThere is much potential for future deployment of bioenergy technologies to decarbonise the energy sector. However, future deployment is dependent on many different factors including investment and efforts towards research and development needs, carbon reduction targets and the ability to compete with other low carbon technologies as they become deployed. All bioenergy technologies should become increasingly more economically competitive with fossil-based technologies as feedstock costs and flexibility are reduced in line with technological advances.
- Published
- 2009
49. Spatial and Temporal Effects of Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (POPFACE) on Leaf Growth, Cell Expansion, and Cell Production in a Closed Canopy of Poplar
- Author
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Taylor, Gail, Tricker, Penny J., Miglietta, Franco, and Kuzminsky, Elena
- Published
- 2003
50. Genomics and Forest Biology: Populus Emerges as the Perennial Favorite
- Author
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Wullschleger, Stan D., Jansson, Stefan, and Taylor, Gail
- Published
- 2002
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