ABSTRACT
The application of biotechnology to forestry and the pulp and paper industry has become a prolific area of research in the nineties. The focus of the research has been to develop strategies to reduce chemical and energy expenditure, hence reducing cost and pollution. This has been tackled in a number of ways. The former part of the review highlights the direction that molecular and cloning technologies are taking to accelerate the production of superior pulpwood trees for commercial forestry operations. It explores the current status in genetic engineering of wood quality characteristics. In particular, recent advances in the genetic manipulation of lignin are discussed. The latter part of the review focuses on the pulping process and discusses alternatives to the use of molecular chlorine as bleaching agent. It explores the use of biological (enzymatic and fungal) agents to boost the bleaching of Kraft pulps, the technology of which is currently being transferred to mechanical pulps. Prospects for the genetic manipulation of hemicellulose are also outlined.
