Using SP1 to control plastid development and yield in crop plants

随着人口的快速增长（到2050年将达到90亿），以及自然资源面临的压力不断增加，提高作物产量和生产力以及对气候变化和次优生长条件的适应能力的驱动力比以往任何时候都更强。为了满足这些需求，必须开发新的改良作物品种。通过之前bbsrc资助的对一种名为拟南芥（拟南芥）的小型模式植物的研究，我们取得了重大突破，可能对作物产量和粮食安全具有重要意义。我们发现了一种叫做SP1的基因，它控制着植物发育的许多重要方面。更具体地说，SP1调节植物细胞内叶绿体结构的发育，叶绿体负责光合作用。通过改变SP1在作物中的活性，我们相信我们将能够控制作物发育的各个方面，这些方面依赖于叶绿体相关的功能，包括谷物发育、幼苗建立和叶片老化。这些参数的优化可以显著提高作物产量。这项研究将使用一种重要的作物模型进行。该项目的一个重要目标将是实现SP1技术在作物植物中的原理验证，最终可能导致技术的商业发展，造福社会。

With the human population growing rapidly and set to reach 9 billion by 2050, and because of the ever increasing pressure on natural resources, the drivers for increased crop yield and productivity, and for resilience to climate change and sub-optimal growing conditions, are stronger than ever. To meet these demands it will be essential to develop new, improved crop varieties. Through previous BBSRC-funded research on a small model plant called thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), we made a significant breakthrough that may have important implications for crop yields and food security. We discovered a gene called SP1 that controls many important aspects of plant development. More specifically, SP1 regulates the development of structures inside plant cells called chloroplasts, which are responsible for photosynthesis. By altering SP1 activity in crops, we believe that we will be able to exert control over diverse aspects of crop development that dependent on chloroplast-linked functions, including grain development, seedling establishment, and leaf aging. Optimization of these parameters may enable significant gains in crop yields. The research will be conducted using an important crop model. An important objective of the project will be to achieve of proof-of-principle of the SP1 technology in crop plants, which ultimately may lead to the commercial development of technology for the benefit of society.