Descripción del proyecto
Longevidad genomodificada en cultivos de cereales perennes
Los intentos actuales de mejorar cereales perennes están limitados por las barreras a la hibridación entre especies vegetales de cultivo anuales y sus parientes silvestres perennes, así como por el compromiso entre la longevidad y la producción de semillas. El proyecto PERLIFE, financiado con fondos europeos, abordará este reto al modificar genéticamente rasgos perennes en especies vegetales de cultivo anuales, empleando la cebada como sistema modelo. Sus investigadores utilizarán la secuenciación del genoma de alto rendimiento para identificar variantes genéticas y la tecnología de edición del genoma Crispr/CAS9 para dirigir la transferencia de genes entre especies. A continuación, dilucidarán la relación entre la longevidad y la producción de semillas e identificarán la variabilidad en la codificación y la regulación vinculadas mediante el empleo de cruces interespecíficos. Los resultados guiarán los diseños y las estrategias para modificar la longevidad de la cebada, que se evaluarán en cámaras de simulación ambiental para seleccionar el método de genomodificación más satisfactorio para crear cereales perennes.
Objetivo
Today, annual crops account for more than 85% of the worldwide calorie consumption. Annual crops are sown and harvested within one growing season and therefore require annual tillage, and application of herbicides and fertilizers that cause land and water degradation. In contrast, perennial crops grow over many seasons, require low agricultural input and thereby hold great potential for sustainable production systems and climate change adaptation. However, current efforts to breed perennial cereals are hindered by hybridization barriers between annual crops and wild perennial relatives and the trade-off between longevity and seed yield.
PERLIFE pioneers the knowledge-based engineering of perennial traits in annual crops using the important annual crop barley as study system. This project will thus open entirely novel avenues for breeding perennial crops. PERLIFE capitalizes on 1) recent technical advances in high-throughput genome sequencing for the identification of genetic variants and 2) the novel genome-editing technology Crispr/CAS9 for the targeted transfer of genes between species. PERLIFE will isolate genetic variants promoting perennial growth using comparative genomics in annual and perennial wild relatives of barley. In interspecific crosses, we will dissect the interrelationship of longevity and seed yield and identify linked coding and regulatory variation. Based on this information, we will design and implement strategies for the targeted modification of longevity in barley using transgenic approaches and genome editing. The engineered genotypes will be trialled in environmental simulation chambers for longevity, stable seed yield and stress resistance to select the most successful engineering strategy. This ground-breaking work will provide a highly efficient approach for the generation of perennial cereals and will thus have a profound impact on sustainable food production in the face of climate change and a growing human population.
Ámbito científico
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesustainable agriculture
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapy
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscereals
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitución de acogida
40225 Dusseldorf
Alemania