Natural Genetic Variants of Poplar Trees (IMAGE) DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory Caption ORNL lead inventor Wellington Muchero and his team studied natural genetic variants of poplar trees with lower lignin content that best benefits ethanol production. Credit Oak Ridge National Laboratory Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.