Chapter 5
Sugarcane as a Novel Biofactory:
Potentialities and Challenges
Fernando C. Gómez-Merino, Libia I. Trejo-Téllez
and Héctor E. Sentíes-Herrera
Abstract Sugarcane is the most productive crop plant to date, and its potential of
becoming a crucial biofactory for generating high-value bioproducts is emerging
only recently. Though it possesses one of the most complex genomes in the plant
kingdom, important advances have been made in terms of transgenic approaches
to generate new varieties, both by particle bombardment and Agrobacteriummediated transformation. Nevertheless, crucial aspects in breeding programs and
molecular technologies have to be developed or improved, before this crop
consolidates as the highest productive biofactory. Social and biosafety issues also
need to be addressed. Here, we highlight the most recent advances in the biotechnology of sugarcane to produce alternative products such as pharmaceutical
proteins, biopolymers, and high-value carbohydrates, and strengthen opportunities
and challenges of sugarcane as a biofactory of novel compounds. We conclude that
the progress in molecular approaches to develop sugarcane into a sustainable
biofactory demonstrates that this crop has tremendous potential and may play
an important role in the growing bioeconomy through biopharming. Like no other
contemporary crop, sugarcane is facing new paradigms and is expected to contribute at least partially to the development of new generation highly profitable
biofactories.
F. C. Gómez-Merino (&)
Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Córdoba, Carretera Córdoba-Veracruz km 348.
Congregación Manuel León, Amatlán de los Reyes 94946 Veracruz, Mexico, Mexico
e-mail: fernandg@colpos.mx
L. I. Trejo-Téllez Á H. E. Sentíes-Herrera
Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco km 36.5,
56230 Montecillo, Mexico, Mexico
R. Guevara-Gonzalez and I. Torres-Pacheco (eds.), Biosystems Engineering:
Biofactories for Food Production in the Century XXI, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-03880-3_5,
Ó Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
129
Sugarcane as a Novel Biofactory:
Potentialities and Challenges
Fernando C. Gómez-Merino, Libia I. Trejo-Téllez
and Héctor E. Sentíes-Herrera
Abstract Sugarcane is the most productive crop plant to date, and its potential of
becoming a crucial biofactory for generating high-value bioproducts is emerging
only recently. Though it possesses one of the most complex genomes in the plant
kingdom, important advances have been made in terms of transgenic approaches
to generate new varieties, both by particle bombardment and Agrobacteriummediated transformation. Nevertheless, crucial aspects in breeding programs and
molecular technologies have to be developed or improved, before this crop
consolidates as the highest productive biofactory. Social and biosafety issues also
need to be addressed. Here, we highlight the most recent advances in the biotechnology of sugarcane to produce alternative products such as pharmaceutical
proteins, biopolymers, and high-value carbohydrates, and strengthen opportunities
and challenges of sugarcane as a biofactory of novel compounds. We conclude that
the progress in molecular approaches to develop sugarcane into a sustainable
biofactory demonstrates that this crop has tremendous potential and may play
an important role in the growing bioeconomy through biopharming. Like no other
contemporary crop, sugarcane is facing new paradigms and is expected to contribute at least partially to the development of new generation highly profitable
biofactories.
F. C. Gómez-Merino (&)
Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Córdoba, Carretera Córdoba-Veracruz km 348.
Congregación Manuel León, Amatlán de los Reyes 94946 Veracruz, Mexico, Mexico
e-mail: fernandg@colpos.mx
L. I. Trejo-Téllez Á H. E. Sentíes-Herrera
Colegio de Postgraduados Campus Montecillo, Carretera México-Texcoco km 36.5,
56230 Montecillo, Mexico, Mexico
R. Guevara-Gonzalez and I. Torres-Pacheco (eds.), Biosystems Engineering:
Biofactories for Food Production in the Century XXI, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-03880-3_5,
Ó Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
129