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  1. Home
  2. Tag: lignin

lignin

UW biochemists engineered a poplar tree that produces a high-demand industrial chemical. It was a surprise discovery only made possible by sustained investment in research.

Posted on May 21, 2025

Brian Fox’s current research focuses on a genetic alteration to poplar trees, equipping them to produce an industrial chemical.

Posted in News, Research ImpactTagged lignin, Research

John Ralph Awarded Top Forestry Prize for Lignin Research

Posted on April 17, 2024

Dubbed the “Nobel Prize for Forestry,” the prize honors scientific achievements that contribute to broader knowledge and technical developments in the forest industry.

Posted in NewsTagged Awards, lignin

Relieving two headaches with one process

Posted on July 2, 2019

With a new method to synthesize a popular pain-relieving medication from plants rather than fossil fuels, biochemistry and energy researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have found a way to relieve two headaches at once.

Posted in NewsTagged acetaminophin, bioenergy, lignin, patent, plants, Research

Researchers find value in unusual type of plant material

Posted on October 11, 2018

Scientists at UW–Madison and the GLBRC with partners at the Center for Bioenergy Innovationm have shown that a recently-discovered variety of the substance, catechyl lignin, has attributes that could make it well-suited as the starting point for a range of bioproducts.

Posted in NewsTagged bioproducts, lignin, Research

Staff scientist Rebecca Smith from Ralph Lab brings enthusiasm, ingenuity to bear on tough lignin

Posted on September 13, 2018

Rebecca Smith, a staff scientist in professor John Ralph’s lab, studies lignin.

Posted in NewsTagged lignin, Profile, Research

With designer lignin, biofuels researchers reproduced evolutionary path

Posted on October 17, 2016

A new study shows that poplar trees and many other plants from all over the phylogenetic tree have actually evolved to naturally produce zip-lignin. In other words, not only can we potentially breed for degradability in plants, but humans may have been doing just that – selecting certain plants for easier processing – for thousands of years.

Posted in NewsTagged lignin, Research

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