The future of biofuels is looking sweet after scientists discovered that high-level sugar stores in plants can aid the conversion of plant biomass into sustainable bioenergy.
The findings of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Researcher Council (BBSRC) suggest that sugar stores assist the conversion as their fermenting qualities have the ability to speed up the burning process needed to produce biofuel.
Dr Paul Dupree of Cambridge University, who is leading the study, said his team found a type of sugar called glucomannan that can be safely increased in the plant Arabidopsis, without any detrimental effect to the plant.
He explained: "This could be very beneficial for the production of bioenergy crops where higher proportions of enzyme-accessible fermentable sugars, such as those in glucomannan, could lead to higher yields of fuel."
He added that achieving higher fuel yields from crops will "increase the likelihood" that sustainable and economic biofuels will displace fossil fuels in the future.
There has been a great deal of mounting pressure for the UK to produce sustainable energy.
Government targets for the 2009/2010 period state that 3.25 per cent of all road transport fuel must be a source of biofuel energy, according to goals set out by the Renewable Fuels Agency.