Developing efficient and non-transgenic transformation methods for sterile and/or recalcitrant crops

面对养活不断增长的人口、应对气候变化的影响和防止新出现的病原体造成重大损失的三重挑战，基因编辑技术越来越被视为在实现未来全球粮食安全方面发挥关键作用。与转基因生物(GMO)不同，转基因生物包含不可能通过传统育种或自然产生的基因变化，区域法规对基因编辑越来越开放，重点关注可能通过传统育种方法或自然发生的基因变化。英国在遗传学和基因组学研究方面处于全球领先地位，最近通过《2023年基因技术(精密育种)法案》生效了世界领先的基因编辑法规，该法案允许在英国开发和营销经过基因编辑的作物和牲畜。成立于2016年的Trotic是一家领先的农业生物技术公司，开发先进的植物育种和基因编辑技术。我们在诺维奇研究园区创新中心的总部雇用了140多名行业领先的专业人员。我们正在内部开发高性能的热带作物商业品种(最初专注于香蕉、水稻和咖啡)，并在热带作物之外，向包括领先的全球农业综合企业巴斯夫、Corteva Agriscience和Genus在内的选定合作伙伴提供我们的专有和专利基因编辑技术平台。香蕉是世界第四大产量作物，在全球粮食安全和确保数百万小农的生计方面发挥着至关重要的作用。我们正在开发具有宝贵特性的基因编辑香蕉，包括延长货架寿命和不变色，以及对热带小种4(TR4)和黑斑病(BSD)的抗性。香蕉褐变是造成供应链中60%以上的出口香蕉损失的原因(即在到达消费者手中之前)。TR4和BSD是威胁全球香蕉生产的两种真菌病原菌，每年造成全球香蕉生产损失11亿GB，BSD管理占香蕉生产成本的27%。由于栽培香蕉是三倍体和不育的，传统育种无法培育出新品种。虽然基因编辑为有价值的性状开发提供了巨大的希望，但香蕉的基因编辑面临着巨大的实施挑战，包括低转化效率和开发非转基因转化方法的要求(因为转基因不能被培育出来)。在Innovate UK的资助下，我们将为不育和/或顽固的作物开发高效的非转基因转化方法，最初专注于香蕉作为模式作物系统。

Facing the triple challenge of feeding a growing population, dealing with the impacts of climate change, and preventing major losses to emerging pathogens, gene-editing technologies are increasingly seen as playing a key role in achieving future global food security. Unlike genetically modified organisms (GMO), which contain genetic changes that could not have occurred through traditional breeding or arisen naturally, regional regulations are increasingly permissive for gene editing, which focuses on genetic changes that could have arisen through traditional breeding methods or occurred naturally.The UK is a global leader in genetics and genomics research and this position has recently been underpinned by the entry into force of world-leading gene-editing regulations through the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which permits the development and marketing of gene-edited crops and livestock in England.Founded in 2016, Tropic is a pioneering agricultural-biotechnology company developing advanced plant breeding and gene editing technologies, employing over 140 industry-leading professionals at our headquarters in the Norwich Research Park Innovation Centre. We are developing high-performing commercial varieties of tropical crops in-house (focusing initially on banana, rice, and coffee) and, outside tropical crops, making our proprietary and patented gene-editing technology platform available to select partners including leading global agribusinesses BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and Genus.Banana is the world's fourth largest crop by production volume, playing a vital role in global food security and ensuring the livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers. We are developing gene-edited bananas with valuable traits including extended shelf-life and non-browning, as well as resistance to tropical race 4 (TR4) and black-sigatoka disease (BSD). Banana browning is responsible for the loss of over 60% of exported bananas in the supply chain (i.e. before reaching the consumer). TR4 and BSD are rapidly spreading fungal pathogens that threaten global banana production, with BSD already causing global annual banana production losses of £1.1 billion and BSD management accounting for 27% of banana production costs.Since cultivated bananas are triploid and sterile, new varieties cannot be produced through conventional breeding. While gene editing offers significant promise for valuable trait development, gene editing of banana faces significant implementation challenges including low transformation efficiencies and the requirement to develop non-transgenic transformation methods (since transgenes cannot be bred out).With Innovate UK funding, we will develop efficient and non-transgenic transformation methods for sterile and/or recalcitrant crops, focusing initially on banana as a model crop system.