EC-US taskforce on biotechnology research : workshop on biotechnology for sustainable bioenergy

The EC- US Task Force Workshop on Biotechnology for Sustainable Bioenergy focused on key challenges facing the growth and development of bioenergy as a sustainable alternative to today's reliance on petroleum-based liquid transportation fuels: bioenergy feedstocks, biotechnology for biomass-tobioenergy, and socio-economic and environmental challenges. Participants identified scientific challenges, research priorities, and knowledge gaps and recommended both biotechnology research and opportunities for US-EC collaboration. New resources, tools, and interdisciplinary interactions are needed to develop the next generation of biomass crops; standards are needed to improve processes for biomass conversion to biofuels; and bioenergy crops and farming practices are needed that minimize competition with food crops, use of resources such as water, and inputs such as fertilizers.