Fructans in Brachypodium distachyon as an alternative carbon sink

This is a newly started project (summer 2009). The concept is to change carbon flux away from structural compounds and in direction of production of soluble degradable storage polysaccharides. This will be done by genetic transformation of Brachypodium distachyon  to introduce constitutively expressed genes encoding fructosyl transferases, that will synthesize fructans as a carbon storage in leaves. Along with this we will select and express in microorganisms genes encoding plant- and microbe derived fructan hydrolases; This  in order to obtain new enzymes suitable for degrading the fructans stored in grass leaves. Brachypodium distachyon is used as a new important model for temperate grass species.