NSF Award
2424938
The ability to modify crop genetics is critical to agricultural systems, and a foundation of the high productivity of agriculture that supports both developing and advanced economies. Modern biotechnologies, based on the ability to insert and precisely modify genes, are a new wave of innovation that is beginning to deliver major advancements to traits such as stress resistance and product quality. However, for numerous crops, including most woody plants, the ability to carry out modern biotechnology is limited by a very low rate of gene insertion and regeneration of modified plant tissues. The goal of this research is to study natural variation in the capacity of the natural plant genetic engineer Agrobacterium to insert genes and promote the regeneration of modified plant tissues—a process which is called “transformation.” The investigators will scan approximately 100 novel Agrobacterium strains for their capacity to transform the economically important and scientific “lab-rat” woody species poplar, study the reasons for variation among strains and poplar genotypes in efficiency, analyze the Agrobacterium genes responsible for high transformation capacity, and using the best strains and genes engineer new and more powerful strains. In addition, the investigators will produce a variety of video products that seek to advance critical thinking about the value of modern biotechnologies for helping agriculture to cope with climate emergency. Students will lead on innovation in video production, guided by biological science and social science faculty and videographers. These will also be used to create curricula for use by middle and high school teachers.<br/><br/>Genetic transformation and regeneration continue to be major bottlenecks for functional genomics and biotechnology in the majority of crop species. Using Populus as a model woody plant system, we propose to identify new Agrobacterium strains, and new genes encoded in their T-DNAs, that can improve the success rate of transformation. The investigators will study the extensive natural variation among approximately 100 sequenced Agrobacterium strains, with a focus on strains and methods capable of inducing transgenic shoots. For selected high performing strains they will also analyze the mechanisms by which strains interact with specific plant genotypes and study the roles of specific genes on their T-DNAs. They will also use these genes to improve domesticated strains and domesticate high performing wild strains that can impart high rates of transformation and regeneration. Broader impacts activities will seek to improve literacy and critical thinking about crop biotechnologies by K-12 students and the public. The investigators will engage undergraduate and graduate students in the production of a series of short videos designed to stimulate thinking and discussion of these topics, sharing them widely and tracking views and the extent of “virality” on social media platforms. In addition, with input from science teachers and students the investigators will create education-oriented videos and linked teacher guides to promote video use in high school classrooms of underserved student populations.<br/><br/>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.
