Project description
A plant synthetic biology toolkit for better crops
The agriculture sector faces significant challenges in fighting the effects of climate change and meeting increasing global food supply demands owing to the growing population. Genetic modification is a promising lab-based technology that can help address these challenges, allowing the altering of plant DNA and creating plants with desirable characteristics. This process is further streamlined by the use of so-called Phytobricks, which have been established in the plant synthetic biology community as standard DNA parts for plants. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the REPLANT project will develop a toolkit based on the Phytobricks standard and comprising innovative gene editing technologies. Project work will lead to improved crops and contribute towards resolving the global sustainability and food security issues.
Objective
Agronomy faces significant global challenges such as coping with climate change, a need for more sustainable practices, and an increasing demand for more food of higher quality due to a growing population. Addressing them will require the adoption of transformative innovations, such as the genetic technologies that underlie Plant Synthetic Biology (SynBio). Plant SynBio, through transgenesis and more recently gene editing, allows us to proactively alter plant DNA to modify their characteristics and address the aforementioned challenges. In addition, plant SynBio can enhance the production of high-value, or new compounds in plants by molecular farming.
SynBio requires the generation of complex DNA constructs that comprise several transcriptional units, facilitated by the development of modular cloning toolkits and the Phytobrick Standard Syntax, a recent agreement of the plant SynBio community that systematized the sequence requirements for cloning.
The aim of REPLANT is to generate a new plant SynBio toolkit based on the Phytobrick architecture that includes the latest developments in protein production and gene editing techniques. The advantages provided by the REPLANT will be demonstrated by two proof-of-concept experiments with biotechnological applications: enhancing the production of SARS-CoV2 recombinant antibodies in plant leaves, and modification of tomato plant architecture in variants of commercial interest. This toolkit, alongside its dissemination approaches will allow a faster advancement of plant SynBio, accelerating the development of improved crops to help solve the global challenges of sustainability and food security.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture agronomy
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases viral diseases RNA viruses coronaviruses
- social sciences economics and business economics sustainable economy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 Madrid
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.