TRTech-PGR: Development of Highly-Efficient, Genotype-Independent Transformation Systems for Maize and Soybean Genome Research Communities

国家和全球强烈需要开发作物植物，其产生更多的粮食、饲料、纤维和生物能源相关产品，并且更耐受非生物和生物胁迫，同时需要更少的投入并在生产期间具有减少的环境影响。用于作物基因组研究和遗传改良的一个关键工具是遗传工程。然而，目前的基因工程系统对许多重要的作物物种或物种内的品种没有有效的作用，或者根本没有作用，限制了对这些作物的研究和改良进展。该项目的研究目标是：1）开发和优化可用于多种品种的高效基因工程系统; 2）创建增强的开源作物工程工具和生物材料，用于公共作物基因组研究和遗传增强; 3）植物转化原则、实践和转基因/编辑植物管理方面的教育和培训。作为这些外联工作的一部分，小组成员将主办一个关于转化方法和方案的密集讲习班，向其他实验室传播知识。基因工程系统是促进美国和世界范围内作物功能基因组学研究和基于基因组学的作物改良工作的关键工具。然而，目前的作物转化系统受到基因型特异性、过程的高度复杂性和低效率、靶组织的可变反应以及国家一级总体能力缺乏的限制。为了克服上述局限性，将进行研究以实现以下目标：1）针对易于分离、可预处理、可储存的外植体，开发高效、高通量、基因型灵活的玉米和大豆分生组织转化系统; 2）通过改进载体设计、菌株操作和增强公众获取来提高基于农杆菌的植物转化系统的广度和效率;以及3）通过出版物、培训和研讨会，快速有效地转移项目的知识和研究成果，并在公共转型研究应用和服务中实施改进后的协议。本研究的结果将导致重要的进展，了解植物转化过程中的作用，特定的生物，化学和物理因素在双子叶和单子叶植物分生组织为基础的植物转化的成功和效率。还将产生关于单个和组合的超二元载体组分和农杆菌菌株在植物转化过程中的功能的新知识。通过研究开发的新知识、协议和生物/分子材料将广泛提供，并有助于在公共部门开发和部署增强的作物转化系统，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响进行评估来支持审查标准。

There is a strong national and global need to develop crop plants that yield greater food, feed, fiber and bioenergy related products, and that are more tolerant of abiotic and biotic stresses, while requiring less inputs and having reduced environmental impacts during production. One critical tool used for crop genome research and genetic improvement is genetic engineering. However, current genetic engineering systems don't work efficiently, or at all, for many important crop species or varieties within species, limiting the research and improvement progress that can be made with those crops. Research conducted on this project is aimed at 1) development and optimization of efficient genetic engineering systems that can be utilized across a wide array of varieties, 2) creation of enhanced, open-source crop engineering tools and biological materials for use in public crop genome research and genetic enhancement, and 3) education and training in plant transformation principles, practices and stewardship of transgenic/edited plants. As a part of these outreach efforts, team members will host an intensive workshop on transformation methods and protocols to disseminate the knowledge to other laboratories. Genetic engineering systems are critical tools for the advancement of crop functional genomics research and genomics-based crop improvement efforts both in the U.S. and worldwide. Current crop transformation systems are limited, however, by genotype specificity, high complexity and low efficiency of the processes, variable responses of target tissues, and an overall lack of capacity at the national level. To overcome the above limitations, research will be conducted to meet the following objectives: 1) develop efficient, high throughput, genotype-flexible meristem-based transformation systems for maize and soybean targeting easily isolated, pretreatable, storable explants; 2) improve the breadth and efficiency of Agrobacterium-based plant transformation systems via enhanced vector design, strain manipulation and enhanced public access; and 3) rapid and effective transfer of the knowledge and research outcomes from the project via publication, training and a workshop, and implementation of the improved protocols in public transformation research applications and services. Results from this research will lead to important advancement in understanding the plant transformation process and the role of specific biological, chemical and physical factors in dicot and monocot meristem-based plant transformation success and efficiency. New knowledge will also be generated regarding the function of individual and combined super-binary vector components and Agrobacterium strains on the plant transformation process. New knowledge, protocols, and biological/molecular materials developed through the research will be made widely available and contribute to development and deployment of enhanced crop transformation systems in the public sector, and training of the next generation of scientists in plant transformation.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.