NSF Award
0320074
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop genetically engineered, broad-spectrum disease resistance in plants. Farmers spend a significant amount of money on fungicides every year to combat plant pathogens, yet enormous yield losses due to disease still occur. In addition, toxic chemicals as well as pathogen-produced toxins present human health and environmental concerns. Mendel Biotechnology has identified an Arabidopsis transcription factor, TDR1, that causes resistance to three pathogens when overexpressed in transgenic plants. TDR1 and three closely related genes will be tested in combination with several tissue specific or inducible promoters to identify combinations that confer a high degree of resistance without negative side effects. Expression patterns correlated with TDR1-based resistance will be detected using microarrray experiments to determine how this method will complement other strategies for genetically encoded resistance. Also, TDR1 orthologs will be identified in crop species to demonstrate conserved pathways and the likelihood of cross-species utility of this technology. Results from the proposed experiments will establish the feasibility of using a TDR1-based technology to produce disease resistance in crop plants.<br/><br/><br/>The commercial application of this project will be in the area of agriculture. The project aims to confer broad spectrum disease resistance in economically valuable crop plants such as maize, soybean, and sugar beets.
