SBIR Phase I: Scaffold Technology for Effector Molecules (STEM): A Transgenic Platform for Agriculture

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段研究项目将开发一种新的使能技术，用于转基因解决农业问题。效应分子支架技术（STEM）将允许产生能够选择性改变植物和植物病原体基因产物功能的高亲和力生物活性蛋白。该项目将在植物蛋白支架中生成并验证STEM植物通用分子识别库。亲本支架在植物叶和根中的表达是文库实用性的要求，并将进行评估。将建立一个由大约108名成员组成的图书馆。该文库将展示在噬菌体（细菌病毒）的表面上，并且由与植物病毒RNA依赖性RNA聚合酶具有高亲和力结合的分子组成。图书馆将展示STEM平台的实用性。根据随后的目标进行筛选将验证图书馆和使能技术的预期普遍性。在第一阶段筛选出的构建体将在未来的研究中迅速进入转基因植物表达系统和植物病毒攻击试验。商业上，STEM平台的应用提供了解决农业问题的新方法，原则上，任何大分子都可以被靶向。我们已经将我们的支架定制为非过敏性和无毒的植物蛋白质，以便它们可以在植物转基因市场中容易地获得接受。然而，这种方法在转基因植物中具有广泛的潜在用途。 STEM技术在植物输入性状开发中的应用包括抗病性和耐旱性等特性。提高作物生产力对于以环境稳定的方式满足日益增长的人口的需求至关重要。STEM可以应用于输出性状，如改善植物营养成分，以及与非治疗性抗体市场平行的市场，如研究，诊断和色谱。商业化的计划是通过与公司合作伙伴建立项目、建立许可关系，以及在某些情况下为具体应用开发内部产品。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project will develop a novel enabling technology for transgenic solutions to agricultural problems. Scaffold Technology for Effector Molecules (STEM) will allow the generation of high-affinity bioactive proteins capable of selectively altering plant and plant pathogen gene product function. This project will generate and validate a STEM plant universal molecular recognition library in a plant protein scaffold. Parental scaffold expression in plant leaves and roots is a requirement for library utility and will be assessed. A library consisting of approximately 108 members will be created. The library will be displayed on the surface of bacteriophage (bacterial viruses) and be composed of molecules with high affinity binding to a plant viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The library will demonstrate the usefulness of the STEM platform. Screening against subsequent targets will provide validation of the anticipated universal nature of the library and the enabling technology. Constructs selected during Phase I will be rapidly moved into transgenic plant expression systems and plant viral challenge tests during future research.Commercially, the application the STEM platform offers a new approach to solve agricultural problems and, in principle, any macromolecule can be targeted. We have tailored our scaffolds to be non-allergenic and non-toxic plant proteins such that they may readily gain acceptance in the plant transgenic market. However, this approach has broad potential utility in transgenic plants. Applications for the STEM technology for plant input trait development include such characteristics as disease resistance and drought tolerance. Increases in crop productivity are crucial to meeting the needs of an increasing human population in an environmentally stable manner. STEM may be applied to output traits such as improved plant nutrient composition, and to markets paralleling those for non-therapeutic antibodies, such as research, diagnostics and chromatography. Commercialization is planned by establishing projects with corporate partners, licensing relationships, and in some cases, developing in-house products for specific applications.