COST Action FP1105

This site is designed to provide key information and concepts relating to COST Action FP1105: Understanding wood cell wall structure, biopolymer interaction and composition: implications for current products and new materials.
Objective
The primary objective of the Action is to build knowledge and understanding of fundamental physical (self assembly) processes and biological systems (e.g. genetic control) that drive natural structures and biopolymer composition within the plant/wood cell wall and to use new knowledge of self assembly processes to support the development of new biopolymer based materials. The Action also aims to quantify the impact of new knowledge on our understanding of the mechanical properties of the cell wall and how processes such as pulping, bleaching recycling, cell wall disintegration methods and ongoing tree improvement and biotechnology programmes impact both positively and negatively on structure and composition of the cell wall. The intent is to explore how this knowledge can be used to support ongoing improvement in these areas of activity. An overarching goal is to develop multidisciplinary competence and capability to support these objectives and to work closely with commercial organisations to promote effective dissemination of knowledge and the development of a more economically sustainable Forest Based Sector.
General background
For several decades scientists have looked at the structure and biopolymer composition of the wood cell wall and the role it plays in the properties of plant fibre-based materials such as solid wood, paper and composites. Recent work has highlighted some significant gaps in our knowledge which restrict our ability to accurately predict and improve these properties. Perhaps more importantly, the pulp and paper and broader forest products industry is under increasing pressure to not only improve and add value to existing products but also to:
* Utilise residuals in higher value applications and;
* Develop new game changing technologies, materials and products that can transform the traditional manufacturing base into higher value markets which can compete more effectively in global markets.
These challenges have led to the evolution of a bio-refinery concept, which requires an “in depth” characterisation of a complex package of bio-polymers and to understand the processes required to extract different components. Interest in the development of wood as a bio refinery feedstock has led to advances in our understanding of cell wall ultra-structure and biopolymer composition. and are examples of how analytical techniques and technologies are being developed to improve our knowledge in this area. However, as our knowledge improves there is an increasing awareness that there is much still to learn. For example, a recent paper (Turner et al, 2011) highlighted a new approach to viewing the crystalline cellulose structure of plant cells that has provided important new insights into the architecture of the wood cell wall. The work indicates a complex, fractal cell wall structure. In addition to the cell structure, recent unpublished work indicates that the internal arrangement of cellulose chains within crystalline micro-fibrils is also fractal as opposed to the currently accepted model of a linear arrangement of cellulose chains). This finding offers new insights into how the tree forms crystalline cellulose within the nano-fibril.
Further complexity is added by a poor understanding of how primary industrial processes influence and change cell wall ultra-structure and overall composition, these processes may alter the assembly of the biopolymers in unintentional ways that lead to suboptimal extraction and utilisation of the residual material in whole tree utilization processes.
Within the field of biochemistry and genetics there is a growing understanding of some of the factors under genetic control but in other instances, it is clear that there is still a poor understanding of the incredibly complex phenotype (at the cell wall level). Without this understanding, it is impossible to determine the relative contribution of genes, environment and the underlying physical processes in determining the structure, and composition of the cell wall.
A hypothesis has been proposed (Turner et al, 2011) to model biological functions (morphogenesis, duplication, multiscale hierarchy of organization etc.) and the ubiquitous fractal structures found in biological systems and the physical world. The hypothesis states that these structures are influenced by quantum mechanics and the fundamental geometric structures of space-time in a way that we are only just beginning to understand. The physics underlying this work which is also supported by string theory is already providing new, fundamental insights into the nature and structure of matter. There is a growing interest in the mimicking of biological systems in the development of new materials. One of the challenges has been to identify the processes by which some of these structures are formed as biological processes can be very complex. However, if we can confirm that the processes that define plant wall structure are physical rather than genetically driven then it opens up opportunities for us to model and mimic these processes more easily from first principles.
Conversely, if we know that some processes are driven by fundamental physical processes then we need to understand the role of the genome in influencing these structures and the overall biopolymer composition of the plant cell wall, i.e. it is important to understand how manipulation of genes is capable of changing and modifying the cell wall. This has implications for current biotechnology initiatives in plant sciences and the Forest Based Sector.
Why COST is the best mechanism for support?
The work identified is primarily long term and multidisciplinary in nature. A successful outcome requires the development of new networks between different scientific fields including physics, genetics, plant physiology, plant science, materials science, mathematical modelling, wood science and industrial processing of biopolymers. One of the key outcomes will be the development of a new European wide platform of competencies and capacities with a common goal that can be harnessed to compile and integrate existing knowledge and to develop new multidisciplinary research proposals into the future. COST offers an ideal mechanism to facilitate this objective.
Key benefits of the Action will include:
1. Collective development of a new fundamental understanding of the plant cell wall structure and biopolymer composition, their interactions and what controls these variables.
2. The development of a common language of communication across a wide range of disciplinary boundaries.
3. A new multidisciplinary network and platform of synergistic competencies that can support innovation in the Forest Based Sector.
4. Better informed tree improvement programmes

5. Improved utilization and value addition to the forest resource
6. The development of new young scientists in new areas of multidisciplinary scientific research
7. The development of multidisciplinary European research proposals with participation from non EU institutions.
8. Creating awareness among scientists from a broad range of disciplines of key challenges in the forestry and forest products industry which would not traditionally have been exposed to this industry.
9. Development of a new platform of competencies that can support the development of new bio-polymer based materials.
The Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of a European Concerted Research Action designated as COST Action FP1105 Understanding wood cell wall structure, biopolymer interaction and composition: implications for current products and new material innovation was approved by the COST Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) at its 183rd meeting on 30 November 2011.
The duration of the Action is 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2016.
For more information refer to the Action website (http://www.napier.ac.uk/forestproducts/cost-action/Pages/Home.aspx).
As a guide, the information should fall into one of the key focus areas within the three working groups which include:
WORKING GROUP 1: Understanding of the structure, biopolymer composition and polymer interactions within the cell wall, what determines these variables and their impact on cell wall properties.

This area of research will involve:
* Genetics
* Physics
* Analytical techniques
* Microscopy techniques
WORKING GROUP 2: Fibre processing
This area of research will involve:
* Wood processing techniques
* Biopolymer fractionation and refining techniques
WORKING GROUP 3: Use knowledge of physical self assembly processes to develop new biopolymer based materials.

This area of research will involve:
* Self-assembly processes
* Chemical modification of biopolymers and monomers
* Synthesis of new materials
Participants are encouraged to include information, terminologies and techniques that can support better cross disciplinary understanding of the working being carried out within the Action.

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