Objective Panama disease is a devastating disease of banana caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense. A new race called tropical race 4 (TR4) is estimated to threaten >80% of the world’s bananas and can cause up to 100% yield loss. The disease is detrimental to global banana production, but also for small-holder farmers especially in Africa, because Panama disease also affects plantain cultivars that provide food for approximately 400 million people. In the 1950s, Panama Disease almost wiped out commercial banana cultivation in Central America. Because the fungus is a vascular pathogen, there is no effective way of combating the disease with crop protection compounds. In addition, the fungus can persist in the soil for many years. Traditional breeding of banana is time consuming and has had only limited success in delivering acceptable cultivars and effective resistance. The key objectives of this proposal are to employ state-of-the-arts biotechnological solutions such as genome editing using CRISPR/Cas and high-throughput resistance gene engineering to introduce a resistance gene and deactivate a susceptibility gene in banana with the global aim of creating a banana cultivar that is resistant to Panama disease. Fields of science medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycologymedical and health scienceshealth sciencesnutritionagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculture Keywords banana genome editing Panama Disease Fusarium oxysporum resistance engineering CRISPR Cas pathogen resistance plant breeding Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2015-EF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2015 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator THE SAINSBURY LABORATORY Net EU contribution € 183 454,80 Address Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane NR47UH Norwich United Kingdom See on map Region East of England East Anglia Norwich and East Norfolk Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 183 454,80