SBIR Phase I: Expression Pattern Screening for Agriculture Genomics

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This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to develop a high throughput multiple mRNA assay for screening large numbers of compounds to discover potential compounds that affect patterns of gene expression in plant tissue. The expression for a group of genes of interest and control genes can be tested all at once within each well of a 96-well plate. Investigators can evaluate how 96 different compounds affect the expression pattern for these genes in each plate. This technology will address an unmet need of the agricultural industry - to make efficient use of novel genomics information. This will allow testing of more gene targets including newly identified genes, and will provide information about selectivity and specificity.Proprietary methods allow DNA array technology to be used for the high throughput multiple mRNA assay. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of these methods using mammalian cells. DNA arrays can be applied within each well and retain hybridization specificity. The method is sensitive enough to detect genes expressed at one mRNA molecule per cell from cells grown within one well of a 96-well plate. The researchers propose to apply the approach to cultured plant cells, in order to form a reliable and sensitive screening technology for discovering new compounds that modulate gene expression in crops.