Development of rice blast resistance using Genome Editing induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS)

大米是世界一半以上人口的主食来源，也是全世界2亿多个家庭的主要收入和就业来源(亚洲等2019年)。预计2020年世界稻米产量将达到5亿吨以上(粮农组织2020年)。然而，稻米产量不能满足日益增长的全球需求，预计2030年世界人口将达到85亿(联合国2019年)。由于气候变化和气温升高，水稻产量也在下降；据预测，全球平均气温每升高1℃，全球水稻产量将减少3.2%(赵等人2017年)。目前，全球水稻产量损失的30%(可养活6000万人；Nley等人2016年)是由稻瘟病引起的，这是一种可导致作物全面歉收的病原菌(Wang等人2014)。新的毒力更强的稻瘟病菌株的出现对杀菌剂和植物育种等传统管控方法提出了挑战。热带生物科学公司正在开发高性能的热带作物品种(如香蕉和咖啡)，以提高种植效率，增强消费者健康，并改善可持续的环境实践。我们的方法依赖于专利和专利的尖端基因编辑技术，这些技术是在公司内部开发的。在Innovate UK的支持下，我们将把我们世界领先的基因编辑技术扩展到水稻抗稻瘟病的开发中，建立我们在水稻方面的投资组合。总部位于著名的诺威治研究园区，拥有世界领先的设施，热带生物科学于2016年由一群经验丰富的企业家和学者组成的团队创立，其中包括：首席执行官吉拉德·格尔森，经验丰富的AgTech私募股权投资者和企业家；CSO埃亚尔·毛里博士，BeeLogics的科学联合创始人，2011年被孟山都收购；首席技术官Ofir Meir博士，Rosetta Green农业化学部前负责人，2013年被孟山都收购。我们现在雇佣了一支由80多名行业领先专家组成的团队。今年，我们完成了2250万GB的B系列股权融资(英国农业技术行业有史以来最大的一轮融资)，以通过我们新型香蕉品种的田间试验加快我们的增长轨迹，并进一步将我们专有的基因组编辑诱导基因沉默(GEiGS)技术平台商业化。通过实现水稻产量的可持续增长，该项目将改善全球粮食安全，并在面对全球人口增长和气候变化的情况下为减贫做出贡献。

Rice is a staple food source for over half the world's population and the main source of income and employment for over 200 million households across the world (Asibi\_et\_al\_2019). World rice production is forecast to reach over 500 million tonnes in 2020 (FAO\_2020). However, rice production cannot meet increasing global demand, with the world population projected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030 (UN\_2019). Rice yields are also decreasing as a result of climate change and rising temperatures; each 1°C rise in global mean temperature is predicted to reduce the global rice yield by 3.2% (Zhao\_et\_al\_2017).Today, 30% of rice production losses globally (which could feed 60 million people; Nalley\_et\_al\_2016) are caused by rice blast, a pathogenic fungus that can cause total crop failure and is found in all rice-growing regions (Wang\_et\_al\_2014). The appearance of new and more virulent strains of rice blast are challenging for traditional management and control methods such as fungicides and plant breeding (Asibi\_et\_al\_2019).Tropic Biosciences is developing high-performing commercial varieties of tropical crops (such as banana and coffee), which promote cultivation efficiencies, enhance consumer health, and improve sustainable environmental practices. Our approach relies on proprietary and patented cutting-edge genetic editing technologies, developed in house. With Innovate UK support, we will extend our world-leading gene editing technology to the development of rice blast resistance, building our portfolio in rice.Headquartered at the renowned Norwich Research Park, with access to world-leading facilities, Tropic Biosciences was founded in 2016 by a team of highly experienced entrepreneurs and academics, including: CEO Gilad Gershon, experienced AgTech private equity investor and entrepreneur; CSO Dr Eyal Maori, scientific co-founder of Beelogics, which was acquired by Monsanto in 2011; and, CTO Dr Ofir Meir, former Head of the Agro Chemistry Division at Rosetta Green, acquired by Monsanto in 2013\.We now employ a team of over 80 industry-leading experts. This year, we closed a £22.5 million Series B round of equity funding (the largest ever funding round in the UK AgriTech sector) to accelerate our growth trajectory through field trials for our novel banana varieties and to further commercialise our proprietary Genome Editing induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS) technology platform.This Innovate UK project extends our work to rice for the first time. By achieving a sustainable increase in rice production, this project will improve global food security and contribute to poverty alleviation, in the face of global population growth and climate change.