Mosses in biotechnology
review Grade C 2020
Authors: Decker, E.L., Reski, R.
Journal: Current Opinion in Biotechnology 61 : 21-27
Key Findings
- Sphagnum species useful for environmental approaches and biomonitoring
- CO2-neutral 'farming' on rewetted bogs (paludiculture) combats climate change
- Moss extracts have diverse industrial and pharmaceutical applications
- Moss lifestyle genes for biotic and abiotic stress resistance relevant to crop improvement
- Physcomitrella patens genome fully sequenced — enables biotechnological engineering
Review of moss biotechnology with relevance to peat sustainability. Key point for CPI: sphagnum can be farmed on rewetted bogs (paludiculture) as a CO2-neutral practice. This connects peat cosmetics to peatland restoration — using peat products doesn’t require destroying bogs if sphagnum can be cultivated. Also covers moss metabolites with potential medicinal value.
sphagnumbiotechnologypaludiculturesustainabilityrewettingmoss-extracts