A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory has successfully engineered poplar trees to produce a key industrial chemical for biodegradable plastics. This groundbreaking development was detailed in a study published on November 20, 2025, in the Plant Biotechnology Journal. The modified trees demonstrate increased tolerance to high salt levels in soil and enhanced breakdown for conversion into biofuels and other bioproducts.
The study reveals that poplar trees, typically utilized as a bioenergy crop, can be genetically reprogrammed to serve as living factories for high-value materials. This innovative approach could facilitate the creation of a flexible domestic supply chain for specialty chemicals, potentially driving down costs and reducing dependence on imports.
“We demonstrate the metabolic ‘plasticity’ of poplar and the feasibility of engineering stress-resistant crops to produce multiple desired products,” said Chang-Jun Liu, a biologist at Brookhaven Lab and the lead researcher of the study. “Our findings show how biological discoveries can lead to practical applications.”
Engineering Poplar for Industrial Use
The research team modified hybrid poplar trees to produce 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), a compound essential for creating durable, high-performance plastics and coatings. Traditionally, PDC is produced through complex chemical processes or by utilizing microbes to decompose biomass. In a significant advancement, the Brookhaven scientists integrated five genes from naturally occurring soil microbes into the poplar’s genetic makeup. This integration established a synthetic metabolic pathway that enables the trees to generate PDC and related compounds, such as protocatechuic acid and vanillic acid, both of which are valuable in industrial and pharmaceutical applications.
“Poplar grows quickly, adapts to many environments, and is easy to propagate,” noted Nidhi Dwivedi, a research collaborator at Brookhaven Lab. “By introducing this new metabolic pathway, we expand the range of bioproducts these trees can produce.”
Enhanced Characteristics and Future Research
The genetic modifications not only enabled the production of PDC but also improved the trees’ overall chemical composition. The engineered poplar trees exhibited lower levels of lignin in their cell walls, which typically complicates biomass breakdown. In contrast, the modified trees contained elevated levels of hemicellulose, a complex sugar useful for biochemical conversions. As a result, the modified poplars yielded up to 25% more glucose and 2.5 times more xylose, both critical for biofuels and other bioproducts.
Moreover, these metabolic changes led to an increase in suberin, a waxy substance that accumulates in the bark and roots. Suberin serves multiple purposes: it protects plant tissues, aids in nutrient and water retention, and blocks toxins. The ability of the modified poplar trees to flourish in less-than-ideal conditions, including saline soils, may provide a solution for cultivating biomass without competing for arable land. Dwivedi emphasized, “These trees can thrive on soil unsuitable for food production, allowing us to utilize marginal lands effectively.”
While the study’s results have emerged from controlled greenhouse environments, the next phase involves testing these engineered poplars under real field conditions to confirm their effectiveness and long-term viability. The research team aims to further optimize the metabolic pathways to enhance yields of PDC and its derivatives.
This innovative model for plant-based manufacturing is easily adaptable and scalable, offering a promising alternative to traditional chemical manufacturing that often requires significant upfront investment. Liu concluded, “Our work deepens the understanding of plant metabolism. By experimenting with different gene combinations, we can potentially create additional valuable products, which will aid in the development of crops suited to various manufacturing and agricultural needs in the U.S.”
For more information, refer to the research article by Nidhi Dwivedi et al., titled “Engineering 2‐Pyrone‐4,6‐Dicarboxylic Acid Production Reveals Metabolic Plasticity of Poplar,” published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal.
