StemCell Therapy

Plant breeders realized decades ago they might be able to introduce improved varieties more quickly and ensure the new genetically stacked benefits remained stable. Then came the question, how do we do that?

Who better to ask than the person overseeing all this gene stacking magic on a daily basis Diana Horvath. Horvath, president of the 2Blades Foundation and a molecular biologist and biochemist, said her organization began working on gene stacking in 2005, using genes in bacterium. This allows the researchers to manipulate genes already in the plant and re-arrange them as desired. The technology of using bacterium to access genes has been available to researchers for three decades.

All the genes that went into the Big Five gene stack came from nature. Some of them were already present in common wheat. We used wheat, rye, and Sharon goatgrass, said Horvath.

We took beneficial genes from these different sources and stuck them tightly together one, two, three, four, five right next to each other, and stuck that in. The process of stitching together five genes is newer technology. Previously, plant breeders were limited to stitching only two genes. Now they can stack up to seven different genes in some cases.

The tools of modern molecular genetics have allowed us an insight into DNA and how these traits are encoded. Once we understood through microbiology and bio-chemistry what the chemical nature was, then it became clear that the structure was the same in one plant to the next plant. Or even in people. We all use the same chemical structure.

Horvath said the team is working toward different combinations of genes to protect the plant. Pathogens continually change and attempt to invade the gene sequence to overcome the resistance. The role of research is to stay one step ahead of pathogens, and it does that by putting together different sets of genes.

The 2Blade team is using molecular science to develop resistant wheat varieties, which Horvath said is much faster than conventional plant breeding. Molecular plant breeders around the world now have more genes available, and they know how to build the stack, so this is moving a lot faster.

She said 2Blade is also working to introduce gene stacks to prevent stripe rust, which causes more economic loss, but not the catastrophic loss, associated with stem rust.

Lets look at each kind of gene as a lock on the door, a combination lock. If you have only one gene or one combination lock protecting a wheat plant from a certain pathogen, then the pathogen only has to break the code for that one gene, and the disease takes over.

If we have five genes in the stack and each gene has its own code, its own lock on the door, then the pathogen has to get the code to all five combination locks, all five protective genes.

We should be clear that Big Five is not intended for commercial release. Its like a lab rat, basically a gene manipulating tool for other wheat breeders to use. It was chosen for its usability in the lab or in the greenhouse. Its relatively easy for other scientists to work with Big Five. We make the trait available to public and commercial breeders. Then its up to them to create better strains.

From a farmers point of view, it means a wheat variety can be developed with resistance to a whole array of pests. And from wheat, gene stacking technology will transfer to other commercial crops.

Horvath said there are restrictions on their work, in the form of strict federal regulations on any research involving genetic modifications to a plant. Many people and organizations have concerns about GM crops. She said the role of 2Blade is to provide the technical piece and to have these solutions ready for the rest of the world.

There are a number of ways 2Blade technology gets into the mainstream, she added. The foundation often give the genetic material free of charge to government or university wheat breeding programs anywhere around the globe. The other path is to license the material to commercial seed companies.

Technically, the way these strains are produced, they are genetically modified organisms. The question is how will consumers react to these products.

The issue we focus on is not how we arrive at gene stack strains. The issue were trying to address is a very serious disease that can greatly impact global food security and global hunger.

Were able to provide a safe solution. We feel its imperative to advance these products. Its up to the rest of the world to decide when theyre ready to receive them.

Read the original here:
Dissecting Big Five: all genes present in nature, not the same plant - Western Producer

This entry was posted on January 31, 2021 at 2:47 am and is filed under Molecular Genetics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |