Short Growth Cycle Research Articles

Camelina sativaComposition, Attributes, and Applications: A Review

AbstractCamelina sativaseeds are rich in oil (30–49%) and protein (24–31%). They contain ω‐3 acids, ω‐6 acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, and phenolic compounds, among others. From an agricultural perspective, growing of this crop is of interest due to its short growth cycle and low fertilizer and water input requirements. Camelina is also tolerant to cold and drought and is consequently well adapted to grow in semiarid regions. Camelina is mainly cultivated for its oil in Europe and North America. In this review, the processes applied for camelina oil extraction, composition, and attributes, as well as the food and nonfood applications of camelina oil are reviewed. Applications include animal feed, functional foods, materials, biofuels, and agrochemicals. Valorization of the camelina protein found in the meal after the oil extraction is also discussed.Practical Applications: The need to develop an integrated process consisting of a degumming step to extract the mucilage from the whole camelina seeds, followed by an oil extraction step, and finally by a protein extraction step is highlighted. There is also a need to develop food applications of camelina oil. More research works should also focus on the utilization of camelina oil in food applications and in specialty applications such as functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications.

Effects of Heat Treatment on The Wettability and Color Properties of Betung Bamboo (Dendrocalamus Asper) Strand

Betung bamboo (Dendrocalamus Asper) has recently attracted interest as a sustainable reinforcement fiber in (polymer) composite materials. Utilization of bamboo has an advantages and disadvantages. It has a short growth cycle, lightweight, and good mechanical properties, but with poor wettability, dimensional instability, and low resistance againts biodeterioration agent. Some efforts have been devoted to alter and enhance its properties, especially wettability properties. Heat treatment under various temperature can enhance wettability properties due to chemical changes and migration of extractives, but also can induce color changes. Therefore, this study aims to investigate wettability properties and color changes of heat-treated Betung bamboo strand. The 1/3 middle of Betung bamboo was used as main material and converted into strand. Heat treatment temperatures applied were 140oC and 160oC for 3 hours. The wettability of Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) adhesive on heat treated Betung bamboo strand was measured using a sessile drop contact angle method. Constant contact angle and K-value were used as parameter of wettability. Color change of heat-treated Betung bamboo strand was measured by portable color difference meter model CDX 105 and characterized by CIE Lab. Results showed that the increasing temperature of heat treatment affected wettability and color properties. Contact angle tended to increase with an increase of temperature which is indicated an enhancement of wettability by making wood more hydrophobic. Increasing of temperature made Betung bamboo strand to be darker than that of control sample. Total color change (AE) values were 21.06 and 29.23 at 140 and 160 oC, respectively.

Production of proteins and commodity chemicals using engineered Bacillus subtilis platform strain.

Currently, increasing demand of biochemicals produced from renewable resources has motivated researchers to seek microbial production strategies instead of traditional chemical methods. As a microbial platform, Bacillus subtilis possesses many advantages including the generally recognized safe status, clear metabolic networks, short growth cycle, mature genetic editing methods and efficient protein secretion systems. Engineered B. subtilis strains are being increasingly used in laboratory research and in industry for the production of valuable proteins and other chemicals. In this review, we first describe the recent advances of bioinformatics strategies during the research and applications of B. subtilis. Secondly, the applications of B. subtilis in enzymes and recombinant proteins production are summarized. Further, the recent progress in employing metabolic engineering and synthetic biology strategies in B. subtilis platform strain to produce commodity chemicals is systematically introduced and compared. Finally, the major limitations for the further development of B. subtilis platform strain and possible future directions for its research are also discussed.

Проект автономной системы для исследования водорослей в условиях, приближенных к натуральным

In this work, an analysis was made of the relevance of the cultivation of microalgae. Since microalgae have a short growth cycle, and production does not require large costs: they only need water, sunlight and nutrients to grow, they do not occupy fertile lands, there are no seasonal restrictions, it was concluded that microalgae are of interest as an object of mariculture. The paper outlines the main problems that arise when conducting research on microalgae directly in the field (in a reservoir) and substantiates the task of developing an autonomous system for researching algae in conditions close to natural. For the implementation of the tasks, a project of a mobile installation is proposed, the main advantage of which is the possibility of using it in the field when organizing expeditionary work. The use of the installation will make it possible to study microalgae cultures in conditions as close as possible to natural ones. During the development of the project, the main requirements for the installation were formulated, namely: light conditions, gas supply and mineral components of the nutrient medium. In the presented project, a list of systems required for a stand-alone installation was determined, as well as requirements for them. A block diagram of an autonomous system has also been developed, which allows us to consider the principle of operation of the device. Based on the results of this work, it was concluded that an optimal design was proposed that provides control of the main parameters of growth and physiological state, as well as the ability to easily control them. Distinctive features of this system are mobility, design reliability and availability of repair, as well as low cost. Using the installation in expeditionary conditions will allow you to quickly obtain data on the growth of various species and strains of microalgae, without leaving the reservoir, and in the absence of laboratory conditions.

Low-dose lanthanum activates endocytosis, aggravating accumulation of lanthanum or/and lead and disrupting homeostasis of essential elements in the leaf cells of four edible plants

Rare earth elements (REEs) are emerging as a serious threat to ecological safety due to their increasing accumulation in environments. The accumulation of REEs in environments has significantly increased its accumulation in the leaves of edible plants. However, the accumulation pathway of REEs in the leaves of edible plants are still unknown. In this study, lanthanum [La(III), a widely used and accumulated REE] and four edible plants (soybean, lettuce, pakchoi, and celery) with short growth cycles were selected as research objects. By using interdisciplinary research techniques, we found that low-dose La(III) activated endocytosis (mainly the clathrin-mediated endocytosis) in the leaf cells of four edible plants, which provided an accumulation pathway for low-dose La in the leaf cells of these edible plants. The accumulation of La in the leaf cells was positively correlated with the intensity of endocytosis, while the intensity of endocytosis was negatively correlated with the density of leaf trichomes. In addition to the accumulation of La, low-dose La(III) also brought other risks. For example, the harmful element (Pb) can also be accumulated in the leaf cells via La(III)-activated endocytosis; the homeostasis of the essential elements (K, Ca, Fe, Mg) was disrupted, although the chlorophyll synthesis and the growth of these leaf cells were accelerated; and the expression of stress response genes (GmNAC20, GmNAC11) in soybean leaves was increased. These results provided an insight to further analyze the toxicity and mechanism of REEs in plants, and sounded the alarm for the application of REEs in agriculture.

Strategies for enhancing terpenoids accumulation in microalgae.

Terpenoids represent one of the largest class of chemicals in nature, which play important roles in food and pharmaceutical fields due to diverse biological and pharmacological activities. Microorganisms are recognized as a promising source of terpenoids due to its short growth cycle and sustainability. Importantly, microalgae can fix inorganic carbon through photosynthesis for the growth of themselves and the biosynthesis of various terpenoids. Moreover, microalgae possess effective biosynthesis pathways of terpenoids, both the eukaryotic mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and the prokaryotic methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway. In recent years, various genetic engineering strategies have been applied to increase target terpenoid yields, including overexpression of the rate-limited enzymes and inhibition of the competing pathways. However, since gene-editing tools are only built in some model microalgae, fermentation strategies that are easier to be operated have been widely successful in promoting the production of terpenoids, such as changing culture conditions and addition of chemical additives. In addition, an economical and effective downstream process is also an important consideration for the industrial production of terpenoids, and the solvent extraction and the supercritical fluid extraction method are the most commonly used strategies, especially in the industrial production of β-carotene and astaxanthin from microalgae. In this review, recent advancements and novel strategies used for terpenoid production are concluded and discussed, and new insights to move the field forward are proposed. KEY POINTS: • The MEP pathway is more stoichiometrically efficient than the MVA pathway. • Advanced genetic engineering and fermentation strategies can increase terpene yield. • SFE has a higher recovery of carotenoids than solvent extraction.

Research Progress of Space Microbial Experimental Technologies

Microorganism is often used as biological model for space life research, extraterrestrial life detection and research on planetary protection due to its simple structure, short growth cycle, fast propagation and easy space loading. With the development of Chinas space station program, the demand for more advanced microbial space experimental device is becoming more and more urgent. In this study, the microbial techniques which have already been implemented in space environment were investigated, and the progress and trend of space microbial experimental techniques including microbial incubation, preservation, detection, analysis, as well as extraterrestrial life detection were also discussed. Finally, suggestions on the development of space microorganism experiments using Chinas Space Station in the future are put forward in this paper.

Residue behavior and dietary risk assessment of six pesticides in pak choi using QuEChERS method coupled with UPLC-MS/MS

A reliable and simple modified QuEChERS method with UPLC-MS/MS was developed for the simultaneous determination of six pesticides (dimethomorph, imidaclothiz, lufenuron, methoxyfenozide, pyridaben, spinetoram) and their metabolites in pak choi. Method validation indicated good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.99), accuracy (recoveries of 75%−112%), sensitivity (limits of quantification, 0.002–0.01 mg kg−1), and precision (relative standard deviations ≤ 21%), and matrix effects were −36–28%. The half-lives of the six pesticides in pak choi were 2.2–12 d under open field and greenhouse conditions. Considering the short growth cycle of pak choi, the terminal residue levels (0.046–7.8 mg kg−1) and the relevant maximum residue limits (MRLs) of some countries, 5 d was recommended as the pre-harvest interval for the six pesticides on pak choi. Dietary risk assessment revealed that the risk quotients were 3.1%−58% for different gender and age groups in China, indicating none unacceptable public health risk for general population. The results showed that all the six pesticides degraded faster and the terminal residues were much lower under open field conditions than those under greenhouse conditions, which was mainly due to the influence of rainfall, sunlight and other environmental factors. This work was thus significant in assessing the dissipation fate and food safety risks of the six pesticides on pak choi and facilitated the establishment of maximum residue limits.

EXTRACTION AND EVALUATION OF EDIBLE OIL FROM SCHIZOCHYTRIUM SP. USING AN AQUEOUS ENZYMATIC METHOD

<List> <ListItem><ItemContent> • Aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) is performed for oil extraction from <i>Schizochytrium</i> sp. </ItemContent></ListItem> <ListItem><ItemContent> • AEE process is optimized by response surface methodology. </ItemContent></ListItem> <ListItem><ItemContent> • Microalgal oil extracted by AEE has high contents of PUFA, tocopherols and phenolics. </ItemContent></ListItem> <ListItem><ItemContent> • AEEO exhibits considerable antioxidant activity as compared with SEO. </ItemContent></ListItem></List> <i>Schizochytrium</i> sp., a marine microalga, is a potential source of edible oil due to its short growth cycle and rapid lipid accumulation, especially of docosahexaenoic acid. An approach to isolate edible microalgal oil from <i>Schizochytrium</i> sp. using aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE) was developed. Parameters were optimized by single-factor experiments followed by Box-Behnken design. Proteases were effective in extracting oil. The maximum free oil recovery (49.7%±0.58%) and total oil recovery (68.1%±0.94%) were obtained under optimum conditions of liquid-to-solid ratio of 4.8:1, a 2.5% enzyme concentration of papain and an extraction time of 2.2 h. There was a significant difference (<i>P</i><0.05) in polyunsaturated fatty acid composition between microalgal oil obtained by AEE and by Soxhlet extraction, with the former having superior physiochemical properties and higher concentrations of bioactive components including total phenolic compounds and total tocopherols. These findings indicate a potential application of AEE for extraction of oil from <i>Schizochytrium</i> sp.

Investigation of the capability of multitemporal RADARSAT-2 fully polarimetric SAR images for land cover classification: a case of Panyu, Guangdong province

ABSTRACT Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), with all-day and all-weather observation capabilities, can capture the phenology of crops with short growth cycles to improve land cover classification results. The present study carried out a land cover classification using multitemporal RADARSAT-2 fully polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) images that are 24 days apart. The objectives of this study were 1) examining the land cover classification capacity of multitemporal fully PolSAR data processed with multiple polarimetric decomposition methods, 2) investigating the contribution of multi-type polarimetric decomposition methods to multitemporal PolSAR image classification, 3) and determining optimal image acquisition dates and polarimetric parameters for land cover classification. Overall accuracy and kappa coefficient attained using the multitemporal PolSAR data were 96.55% and 0.96, respectively, which were improved by as much as 16.77% and 0.20, respectively, compared with those obtained with a single scene. Compared with the multitemporal PolSAR image classification using coherency matrices alone, the use of polarimetric decomposition methods improved overall accuracy and kappa value by 2.22% and 0.03, respectively. Using decision tree algorithms for feature selection, we found that April 14, May 8, June 1, and June 25 and Pauli, Cloude, Neumann3, An&Yang4, Freeman3, Barnes2, and MCSM5 decomposition methods were optimal for the land cover classification.

Purple Sweet Potato Extract extends lifespan by activating autophagy pathway in male Drosophila melanogaster.

Purple sweet potato is a nutritive food rich in anthocyanins that possess antioxidant effects. Drosophila melanogaster owns short growth cycle, fast reproduction, less chromosomes, more mutants, small individuals, therefore, which is an appropriate genetic model organism. To investigate the anti-aging activity of Purple Sweet Potato Extract (PSPE) in male Drosophila melanogaster and explore the underlying mechanism. PSPE-induced longevity was associated with improvements in climbing ability and tolerance to stressors such as paraquat and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Furthermore, PSPE supplementation increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as expression of SOD and CAT genes, but decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Meanwhile, PSPE decreased the intestinal stem cells (ISCs) proliferation and improved intestinal homeostasis, which was measured by Smurf assay and colony-forming units (CFUs) measurement in aging flies. Additionally, PSPE markedly inhibited the expression of upstream genes AKT-1, PI3K and mTOR and elevated the downstream gene 4E-BP, which further activated the expression of autophagy-related genes (Atg1, Atg5, Atg8a and Atg8b). Moreover, the production of lysosomes increased, indicating that the autophagy pathway was activated. The results provided direct evidence of PSPE anti-aging effects on an organism level, indicating PSPE could be developed for use in effective anti-aging products.

C4 herbs dominate the reservoir flood area of the Three Gorges Reservoir

Dam operations can dramatically degenerate riparian vegetation. To improve the restoration practices of reservoir riparian vegetation, it is important to understand which and how a dominant species physiologically and ecologically maintain high fitness in this type of ecosystems. We explored the compositional change of riparian plants during the long-term flood-dry-flood cycle in the reservoir flood area (RFA) of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), China. In total 769 vascular plant species (belonging to 415 genera in 122 families) existed in the study area before damming (prior to 2006, i.e. the natural riparian zone). Following damming (2008–2018), plant species diversity rapidly declined, with only 51 species identified in 2018 (45 genera in 22 families). Before damming, perennial herbs, annual herbs and shrubs co-dominated the study area. After damming, the proportion of shrubs decreased significantly, and the proportion of annuals to total plants increased by 20%. Alien invasive species proportion increased from 5% to 18%. Notably, the proportion of C4 species increased significantly from 7% to 31%. Ten of the 16 dominant species in RFA since 2015 were C4 Poaceae species. Our study indicates that dam construction could cause severe biodiversity loss of riparian plants and draw alien species invasion. Besides, C4 herbs would dominate the RFA. A higher photosynthetic rate could help C4 plants grow faster to cope with the nitrogen deficiency and short growth cycles in RFA. Hence, screening C4 herbs for vegetation restoration might aid in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem functions in flood-dry-flood reservoir flood areas.

Anticancer Compounds Derived from Marine Diatoms.

Cancer is the main cause of death worldwide, so the discovery of new and effective therapeutic agents must be urgently addressed. Diatoms are rich in minerals and secondary metabolites such as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, esters, acyl lipids, sterols, proteins, and flavonoids. These bioactive compounds have been reported as potent anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial agents. Diatoms are unicellular photosynthetic organisms, which are important in the biogeochemical circulation of silica, nitrogen, and carbon, attributable to their short growth-cycle and high yield. The biosilica of diatoms is potentially effective as a carrier for targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy due to its high surface area, nano-porosity, bio-compatibility, and bio-degradability. In vivo studies have shown no significant symptoms of tissue damage in animal models, suggesting the suitability of a diatoms-based system as a safe nanocarrier in nano-medicine applications. This review presents an overview of diatoms’ microalgae possessing anti-cancer activities and the potential role of the diatoms and biosilica in the delivery of anticancer drugs. Diatoms-based antibodies and vitamin B12 as drug carriers are also elaborated.

Bioremediation of Landoltia punctata to Microcystis aeruginosa Contaminated Waters

Microcystis aeruginosa is one of the dominant algae in the “phytoplankton bloom” phenomenon. A high density of microcystins (MCs) are produced when algae have explosive growth, which can damage the water environment and pose a great threat to aquatic animals, plants, and human health. Duckweed (Landoltia punctata) is a morphologically highly degraded flowering plant with a short growth cycle and wide environmental adaptability. Importantly, duckweed can grow in eutrophic water and has great potential in water remediation. The present study aims to analyze the physiological and biochemical changes of L. punctata when co-culturing with M. aeruginosa in the laboratory. Our results showed that all the biomass, chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and amylase activity of L. punctata increased in 2 × 108 cells/L and 4 × 108 cells/L for M. aeruginosa, and also significantly reduced in 1.6 × 109 cells/L for M. aeruginosa, while cytotoxic substance (malondialdehyde (MDA)) content showed a completely opposite trend. After co-culturing, it was found that the MC content in L. punctata reduced to 138.87 g/g, and the MC removal rate was 29.48%. These results indicate that L. punctata can grow normally in high-density M. aeruginosa, which paves the way for L. punctata’s bioremediation of water polluted by M. aeruginosa.

Relationship between Leaf and Fibre Characteristics of Agave sisalana

With decrease in wood from the forest, non-wood fibres have attracted interest in the production of pulp and paper products in recent times due to their short growth cycles, moderate irrigation and fertilizer requirements as well as their low lignin content. The use of these plants will aid sustainable development in the pulp and paper industry. This study investigated leaf dimensions and fibre characteristics of Agave sisalana and how the leaf dimensions relates to its fibre characteristics. Leaves were collected from three sisal plant stands in Oyo State, Nigeria. The plant whorl was divided systematically into bottom, middle and top from which five leaves were randomly collected from each whorl position. The fibres of the leaves were extracted from which 2cm of fibres were taken from three positions on the leaf (top, middle and base). Extracted fibres were macerated and 3375 fibres were measured. The result shows that Agave sisalana leaves collected at the top had the longest length and was also widest at the base and middle. The average fibre length was 1.69 mm, while the fibre diameter, lumen width and cell wall thickness of Agave sisalana were 16.98 µm, 12.33 µm and 2.32 µm respectively. The slenderness ratio averaged 99.4 while the coefficient of flexibility averaged 72.61. The highest value of the runkel ratio of Agave sisalana was 0.42. There was significant negative correlation between leaf characteristics and fibre characteristics. Young sisal (Agave sisalana) leaves produced the best fibre characteristics suitable for the production of high quality paper.

Biodiesel Fuel from Chlorella vulgaris and Effects of Its Low-Level Blends on the Performance, Emissions, and Combustion Characteristics of a Nonroad Diesel Engine

AbstractChlorella vulgaris is widely distributed in China and has the advantages of high oil content, short growth cycle, and wide growth space. Chlorella vulgaris biodiesel fuel (CVBF) made from C...

Shear Capacity of RC Beams Strengthened with Flax Fiber Sheets Grafted with Nano-TiO2.

Flax fiber sheets provide the advantages of high specific strength, a short growth cycle, environmental friendliness, wide availability, and low cost. Therefore, in this study, the shear capacities of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with ordinary flax fiber sheets, flax fiber sheets grafted with nano-TiO2, and unidirectional basalt fiber sheets were compared. The bearing characteristics and failure modes of RC beams strengthened with flax fiber sheets were investigated. The results showed that after reinforcement with flax fiber sheets, the bearing capacity and mid-span deflection of the RC beams are considerably improved, and the reinforcing effect of flax fiber sheets grafted with nano-TiO2 is greater than that of unmodified flax fiber sheets. After reinforcement with flax fiber sheets grafted with nano-TiO2, the shear capacity of the RC beams is considerably improved to 653 kN, which is 72.8% higher than that of the unreinforced RC beams. Meanwhile, the mid-range deflection of the beam reached 14.6 mm, which is 75.9% higher than that of the unreinforced RC beams.

Evaluation of hydrogen yield potential from Chlorella by photo-fermentation under diverse substrate concentration and enzyme loading

Chlorella is widely distributed, can be cultured in waste water and had short growth cycle. The high carbohydrate composition shows great potential for bioenergy output. In this work, concentrated Chlorella solution was adopted as raw material. Reducing sugar concentration, pH, and cumulative bio-hydrogen yield were taken as indexes, the effects of substrate concentration and enzyme (cellulase or neutral protease) load on photo-fermentation bio-hydrogen production process from microalgae biomass were investigated. Results showed that highest cumulative hydrogen yield was obtained at the optimal substrate concentration of 25 g/L, when the load of cellulase and protease are both 15%, the effect is the best which were 16.65 mL, 29.44 mL, and 43.62 mL, respectively. Results fitted well to the Gompertz model, indicating the feasibility of photo-fermentative bio-hydrogen production from concentrated Chlorella.

Transcriptome profiling of Fagopyrum tataricum leaves in response to lead stress

BackgroundLead (Pb) pollution is a widespread environmental problem that is harmful to living organisms. Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), a member of the family Polygonaceae, exhibits short growth cycles and abundant biomass production, could be an ideal plant for phytoremediation due to its high Pb tolerance. Here, we aimed to explore the molecular basis underlying the responses of this plant to Pb stress.ResultsIn our study, ultrastructural localization assays revealed that Pb ions primarily accumulate in leaf vacuoles. RNA deep sequencing (RNA-Seq) of tartary buckwheat leaves was performed on two Pb-treated samples, named Pb1 (2000 mg/kg Pb (NO3)2) and Pb2 (10,000 mg/kg Pb (NO3)2), and a control (CK). A total of 88,977 assembled unigenes with 125,203,555 bases were obtained. In total, 2400 up-regulated and 3413 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between CK and Pb1, and 2948 up-regulated DEGs and 3834 down-regulated DEGs were generated between CK and Pb2, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses showed that these DEGs were primarily associated with ‘cell wall’, ‘binding’, ‘transport’, and ‘lipid and energy’ metabolism. The results of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses of 15 randomly selected candidate DEGs and 6 regulated genes were consistent with the results of the transcriptome analysis. Heterologous expression assays in the yeast strain Δycf1 indicated that overexpressing CCCH-type zinc finger protein 14 (ZFP14) enhanced sensitivity to Pb2+, while 5 other genes, namely, metal transporter protein C2 (MTPC2), phytochelatin synthetase-like family protein (PCSL), vacuolar cation/proton exchanger 1a (VCE1a), natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 3 (Nramp3), and phytochelatin synthetase (PCS), enhanced the Pb tolerance of the mutant strain.ConclusionCombining our findings with those of previous studies, we generated a schematic model that shows the metabolic processes of tartary buckwheat under Pb stress. This study provides important data for further genomic analyses of the biological and molecular mechanisms of Pb tolerance and accumulation in tartary buckwheat.

Trends in the production of cellulose nanofibers from non-wood sources

The rise of biomass-derived nanocellulose addresses the sustainability criteria now demanded of new materials, which have been widely overlooked in the plastics era—renewability, abundance, biodegradability, and recyclability. Cellulose nanofibers have conventionally been extracted from wood products, supported by an established forestry infrastructure, but the drive for biomass sustainability has encouraged researchers to explore non-wood sources over the past 15 years. Non-wood sources, including agricultural residues and industrial wastes, offer an attractive alternative due to their abundance, fast generation, and low starting value. Moreover, agricultural residues can improve the sustainability of cellulose nanofiber processing from multiple angles. The biochemical composition of the typical agricultural residue, which is lower in lignin and higher in hemicellulose than wood stems, improves the fibrillation efficiency of cellulose bundles into nano-scale fibers. In addition, agricultural residues yield high biomass volume from short growth cycles with improved land utilisation, whilst offsetting environmental issues associated with their current uses. In this work, we performed a comprehensive literature evaluation of the biomass sources used to produce cellulose nanofibers. Of the 3358 cellulose nanofiber publications from 2004 to 2018 with an identifiable source material, 57% were derived from wood-based biomass and 30% from non-wood biomass, with 100 unique biomass sources identified. Furthermore, the top research fields associated with non-wood publications included general characterisation (36%), plastic nanocomposites (19%), bionanocomposites (9%), biomedical products (8%), and electronic devices (6%). As social, political and economic drivers reinforce sustainability as a key focus in nanocellulose production, this bibliometric resource provides a timely snapshot of the sustainability trends in cellulose nanofiber research.