Washington State scientists making poplars with rose scent

Tri-Valley Dispatch ^ | 02/12/14 | Sandi Doughton

[Abathar]

SEATTLE — Sniff the air around Norman Lewis’ experimental poplars, and you won’t pick up the scent of roses.

But inside the saplings’ leaves and stems, cells are hard at work producing the chemical called 2-phenylethanol — which by any other name would smell as sweet.

Sweeter still is the fact that perfume and cosmetics companies will pay as much as $30 an ounce for the compound that gives roses their characteristic aroma. Because what Lewis and his colleagues at Washington State University are really chasing is the smell of money.

Born out of the frustrating quest to wring biofuels from woody plants, the WSU project takes a different tack. Instead of grinding up trees to produce commercial quantities of so-called cellulosic ethanol, their goal is to turn poplars into living factories that churn out modest levels of chemicals with premium price tags.

[null and void]

Next it will be trees that smell like spices, I suppose you’ll object to us noting the thyme then too...

[reg45]

Imagine if they could make diesel fuel smell like roses. Wow!

[Abathar]

"Next it will be trees that smell like spices, I suppose you’ll object to us noting the thyme then too..."

(grumble, grumble) Smartasses (grumble, grumble)

[Born to Conserve]

I don’t think these scientists know about market elasticity.

[OldNewYork]

Interesting.