RII Track-2 FEC: Genome Engineering to Sustain Crop Improvement (GETSCI)

RII Track-2 FEC：维持作物改良的基因组工程 (GETSCI)

• 批准号: 2121410
• 负责人: Michael Muszynski
• 金额: $ 399.38万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2121410&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RII; Track; FEC; Genome; Engineering

Improved and practical crop breeding tools are required to meet the increasing demands of a growing global population and to overcome the sudden and variable stresses, made worse, by climate change. This project brings together researchers from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and Iowa State University to develop an efficient, robust genome engineering toolkit that can be used to speed the generation of resilient crops adapted to a changing environment. Reproductive barriers are a major bottleneck that limits the genetic diversity available for crop improvement. Tropical maize germplasm is a rich source of genetic diversity but its flowering behavior in temperate regions precludes its broad use for maize improvement. To access this diversity, our two institutions formed a collaboration that integrates our strengths in tropical plant biology and transformation (Hawai’i) with maize transformation, genome engineering, and breeding (Iowa). Our goals are to establish a rapid and efficient genetic transformation platform and to develop improved genome editing tools to reprogram the flowering behavior of high-yielding tropical maize lines allowing their incorporation into any maize breeding program. Both Hawai’i and Iowa will gain a valuable new capability in genetic transformation and genome engineering which will transform the types of crop research possible at both institutions. Expected impacts from this project will help address food security and economic weaknesses in Hawai’i, by allowing for the development of new tropical crop breeding industries. In Iowa, access to gene-edited temperate-adapted tropical germplasm will move maize improvement into the next era of genome-optimized breeding. Workforce capacity will be increased by engaging underrepresented students, particularly Native Hawai’ians and Pacific Islanders, in diverse aspects of genome engineering research, by the exchange of undergraduates between partner institutions to prepare a globally competitive, multiculturally, and socially responsible workforce, and by creating opportunities for improved science communication skills through training sessions, workshops, and engagement with the community to communicate the value and safety of these new tools. Critical to our future is maintaining the rate of genetic improvement of the crops that feed us and sustain our economy. But the sudden and increasingly severe stresses caused by climate change limit the pace of improvement. Advances in genome engineering offer rapid solutions by enabling precise and targeted reprogramming of molecular networks to improve crop performance. The rich genetic diversity in tropical maize is largely underutilized for maize improvement because tropical lines are photoperiod sensitive and flower late in the long-days of temperate growing regions. To access this diversity, we formed a collaboration between the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (UH Manoa) and Iowa State University (ISU), which integrates strengths in tropical plant system biology and transformation (UH Manoa) with maize transformation, genome engineering, and breeding (ISU). Our goal is to use gene editing to suppress the photoperiod response in elite, high-yielding tropical maize to promote earlier flowering. These edited tropical lines can then be used to enhance any maize breeding program. Our objectives are to (1) establish an efficient, germplasm-independent maize transformation platform, (2) develop a facile, tractable genome editing toolkit to suppress the photoperiod response in six tropical inbreds, (3) analyze photoperiod network function in genome edited tropical lines, and (4) improve skills in communicating the value and safety of these new genome engineering tools. The outcomes from this project include new tropical maize transformation capabilities at both jurisdictions, genome editing reagents for modulating flowering in maize, six elite tropical inbreds adapted to temperate breeding programs, a mechanistic understanding of the response to reprogramming the flowering network, and improved skills to communicate the value of this technology in professional and public contexts. Broader impacts expected from this project include opening this technology to academic labs, that can build research capacity by allowing genome engineering of diverse crops. Democratizing these tools are expected to speed breeding advancements, sustain crop improvement efforts, and spur economic growth. Both Hawai’i and Iowa will gain a valuable new capability in maize transformation and genome engineering, and will transform the types of crop research possible at both institutions. In Hawai’i, this project will help address food security and economic weaknesses revealed by the pandemic, by allowing for development of new tropical crop breeding industries. In Iowa, access to gene-edited temperate-adapted tropical germplasm moves maize improvement into the next era of genome-optimized breeding. Workforce capacity will be increased by engaging underrepresented students, particularly Native Hawai’ians and Pacific Islanders, in diverse aspects of genome engineering research, by the exchange of undergraduates between partner institutions to prepare a globally competitive, multiculturally, and socially responsible workforce, and by creating opportunities for improved science communication skills through training sessions, workshops, and engagement with the community to communicate the value and safety of these new tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

需要改进和实用的作物育种工具来满足全球人口不断增长的需求，并克服因气候变化而变得更糟的突然和多变的压力。该项目汇集了夏威夷大学马诺分校和爱荷华州立大学的研究人员，开发一种高效、强大的基因组工程工具包，可用于加速产生适应不断变化的环境的弹性作物。生殖障碍是限制作物改良遗传多样性的主要瓶颈。热带玉米种质是遗传多样性的丰富来源，但其在温带地区的开花行为妨碍了其在玉米改良中的广泛应用。为了获得这种多样性，我们两个机构建立了合作关系，将我们在热带植物生物学和转化（夏威夷）与玉米转化、基因组工程和育种（爱荷华州）方面的优势结合起来。我们的目标是建立一个快速高效的遗传转化平台，并开发改进的基因组编辑工具，以重新编程高产热带玉米品系的开花行为，使其能够纳入任何玉米育种计划。夏威夷和爱荷华州都将获得遗传转化和基因组工程方面宝贵的新能力，这将改变两个机构可能进行的作物研究类型。该项目的预期影响将有助于解决夏威夷的粮食安全和经济弱点，允许发展新的热带作物育种业。在爱荷华州，获得基因编辑的适应温带的热带种质将使玉米改良进入基因组优化育种的下一个时代。通过让代表性不足的学生，特别是夏威夷原住民和太平洋岛民参与基因组工程研究的各个方面，通过合作机构之间的本科生交流来培养一支具有全球竞争力、多元文化和社会责任感的劳动力队伍，并通过培训课程、研讨会和与社区接触来传达这些新工具的价值和安全性，创造提高科学传播技能的机会，从而提高劳动力能力。对我们的未来至关重要的是保持为我们提供食物并维持我们经济的农作物的遗传改良速度。但气候变化带来的突然且日益严重的压力限制了改善的步伐。基因组工程的进步通过对分子网络进行精确和有针对性的重编程来提高作物性能，提供了快速的解决方案。热带玉米丰富的遗传多样性在玉米改良中基本上没有得到充分利用，因为热带品系对光周期敏感，并且在温带种植区的长日照下开花较晚。为了获得这种多样性，我们与夏威夷大学马诺阿分校 (UH Manoa) 和爱荷华州立大学 (ISU) 建立了合作关系，将热带植物系统生物学和转化 (UH Manoa) 与玉米转化、基因组工程和育种 (ISU) 的优势融为一体。我们的目标是利用基因编辑来抑制优质高产热带玉米的光周期反应，以促进提早开花。这些经过编辑的热带品系可用于增强任何玉米育种计划。我们的目标是（1）建立一个高效、不依赖于种质的玉米转化平台，（2）开发一种简便、易于处理的基因组编辑工具包来抑制六种热带自交系的光周期响应，（3）分析基因组编辑的热带品系中的光周期网络功能，以及（4）提高传达这些新基因组工程工具的价值和安全性的技能。该项目的成果包括两个管辖区新的热带玉米转化能力、用于调节玉米开花的基因组编辑试剂、适应温带育种计划的六种精英热带自交系、对重新编程开花网络的反应的机械理解，以及提高在专业和公共环境中传播该技术价值的技能。该项目预计会产生更广泛的影响，包括向学术实验室开放这项技术，通过对不同作物进行基因组工程来增强研究能力。这些工具的普及预计将加速育种进步、维持作物改良工作并刺激经济增长。夏威夷和爱荷华州都将获得玉米转化和基因组工程方面宝贵的新能力，并将改变两个机构可能进行的作物研究类型。在夏威夷，该项目将通过发展新的热带作物育种业，帮助解决大流行所暴露的粮食安全和经济弱点。在爱荷华州，获得基因编辑的适应温带的热带种质将玉米改良带入了基因组优化育种的下一个时代。通过让代表性不足的学生，特别是夏威夷原住民和太平洋岛民参与基因组工程研究的各个方面，通过合作机构之间的本科生交流来培养一支具有全球竞争力、多元文化和社会责任感的劳动力队伍，并通过培训课程、研讨会和与社区接触来传达这些新工具的价值和安全性，创造提高科学传播技能的机会，从而提高劳动力能力。 该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。