**Author details**

scientists have already established efficient methods for the routine genetic transforma‐ tion of the majority of our principal crops. Using these technologies, they have also achieved substantial progress in understanding and manipulating plant primary and secondary metabolism. Moreover, further research on metabolic regulation and genetic information and on novel tools for genetic modifications may help to overcome the limitations for breeding varieties that meet targeted applications and end-uses. This will certainly help maximize their value throughout the whole bio-based value chain for biorefining applica‐ tions or eventually breeding varieties with in-built new traits that are creating higher value-

Biofuel: Fuel produced from crop-derived carbohydrates. Includes bioethanol produced from

Biomass: Biological materials used for fuel or industrial production. Here, we refer to the sum

Bio-based (or bio-derived) platform molecule: A chemical compound whose constituent elements originate wholly from biomass (material of biological origin. excluding fossil C sources), and that can be utilized as a building block for the production of other chemicals.

Biorefinery feedstocks/Platform chemical feedstocks: Biorafineries are typically differentiated into polvsaccharides, lignin, protein, and extractives (e.g., triglycerides and terpenes) as all are

Building block chemicals: Molecules with multiple functional groups that possess the potential to be transformed into new families of useful molecules. According to the US Department of Energy the top 12 sugar-based building blocks are: 1,4-diacids (succinic, fumaric and malic), 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid, 3-hydroxy propionic acid, aspartic acid, glucaric acid, glutamic acid, itaconic acid, levulinic acid, 3-hydroxybutyrolactone, glycerol, sorbitol, and xylitol/

Metabolic engineering: Describes the targeted modification of endogenous metabolism to

Sink strength: Ability of a sink organ (any organ, e.g., roots, developing seeds, or immature leaves, that imports photosynthetic assimilates) to competitively mobilize assimilates toward

Synthetic biology: Aims at creating novel functional parts, modules, circuits, and/or organisms using synthetic DNA and mathematical/logical methodologies, and has been shown to be

fermentable sugars and biodiesel produced from plant oil.

found as constituent parts within typical biomass in varying amounts.

control the accumulation of one or more specific products.

practical and useful in various biotechnological applications.

added products.

124 Plants for the Future

**5. Glossary**

arabinitol.

itself.

of plant harvestable tissues.

Massimiliano Lauria1 , Francesco Molinari2 and Mario Motto3\*

\*Address all correspondence to: mariomotto@libero.it

1 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Milano, Italy

2 Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, Univerisità degli Stu‐ di di Milano, Milano, Italy

3 Fondazione Istituto Tecnico Superiore per le Nuove Tecnologie della Vita, Bergamo, Italy
