Cracking sugar's DNA to produce new green energy to power the world

Sugar has long been a source of energy for people, but now scientists believe they are close to unlocking its DNA secrets and harnessing its potential as a green fuel. As demand for the sweet stuff in food takes a tumble, its 'reinvention' as a source of green energy could protect the $2 billion industry — if the development of biofuels attracts enough investment. The University of Queensland is conducting the first gene-editing experiments that could tailor the sugarcane plant to better produce biofuels and bioplastics. Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, Robert Henry, is working with a global team to sequence the sugarcane genome as part of a joint project with the Genome Institute based in the US.