Correlation of Bamboo mechanical properties to its genotype

Modern civil engineering was mainly developed in places where the main construction materials are Steel and Reinforced Concrete (RC). However, it so happens that many underdeveloped countries do not have Steel and RC, but do have more economical sustainable materials. These materials have been developed less, not because they are inherently bad, but because they have not received the attention of contemporary engineering. Bamboo is such a material. It has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America and has behaved exceptionally in natural disasters like earthquakes. One of the major challenges in using it as a structural material is the lack of standardization. There exist a number of different species and strains with totally different properties. Even within a species the properties of different specimens can vary significantly. Part of this variability can be attributed to its genome and therefore could potentially be controlled.

This project aims at screening a large collection of Bamboo species and strains to correlate a mechanical property useful in construction (their strength normal to their fibers) with their genetic background. By performing a Genome-Wide-Association Study (GWAS), we expect to discover candidate genes that are related to the phenotypic trait under study. In short, this project will identify original and possibly distinct genetic determinants of a mechanical property of Bamboo which are important for its structural behavior. It is a feasibility study and aims to lay the ground for a larger project that will study the correlation of more mechanical and physical properties of bamboo to its genome and eventually will try to genetically improve them, both in terms of their average values and in terms of their predictability. A standardized and, maybe, genetically improved Bamboo is a game changer for the construction industry in a region where 1bn people live, where most of the global construction is taking place, and where housing and infrastructure needs are foreseen to increase.

Funding: SNF Project CRSK-2_190711 (PIs: Michalis Vassiliou and Christos Bazakos)

Duration: 1.3.2020 - 28.2.2021