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Searching For New Germplasm For The Year 2000 And Beyond, Rainer Schultze-Kraft, Warren M. Williams, John M. Keoghan

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The likely germplasm needs for the next decades are discussed with major emphasis on tropical pastures, although many of the considerations apply also to temperate grasslands. The largest, and internationally most relevant, tropical-germplasm collections are held by CSIRO, CIAT and ILCA. Gerznplasm of <600 grass and <1500 legume species is available (with 6000-7000 and 26000-28000 accessions, respectively), representing 100-120 grass and 150-200 legume genera. Temperate germplasm collections are more numerous and hold larger numbers of accessions; they are, however, even more narrowly focused on very few genera (mainly four legume and eight grass genera). The numbers of species represented in the germplasm collections are only a fraction of considerably higher figures suggested in the literature as wild species with forage potential. Further collections to increase this fraction and to safeguard germplasm from genetic erosion and loss of biodiversity are warranted. International co-operation is suggested. Future germplasm needs are seen, in the tropics, mainly for low-input production systems on marginal, degraded lands and for agropastoral systems, and, in the temperate zone, for sustainable grasslands systems. Because of their dual­purpose characteristics legumes are expected to play a key role. It is suggested that the present collections might not contain a sufficiently broad base of germplasm with the required characteristics for the aforementioned production systems. Collection gaps can be identified only through thorough analyses of important genera and regions, based on a solid body of information that still needs to be assembled. A series of research topics is suggested to assist in future collection strategies, germplasm management and evaluation, and to create the basis for future breeding projects. However, expensive and long-term breeding programmes with tropical and many temperate forages are not encouraged for the near future unless the respective species and its natural variability are well enough known. The same applies to genetic manipulation via biotechnology. Implications arising from molecular biology are that new techniques are now available to improve understanding of genetic diversity and taxonomic relationships, and that the potential genetic resource now spans animals, micro-organisms and plants other than the target species. This wider genepool is also endangered and its conservation will rely on in situ preservation of the diverse ecosystems of which it is composed. The need of international support, co-operation and co-ordination regarding germplasm collection, related research and communication is emphasised. The creation of an JBPGR-sponsored, permanent, international working group on forages is suggested.

Problems, Potentialities And Progress In White Clover Breeding, I Rhodes, K J. Webb, D R. Evans, R P. Collins

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The paper outlines the problems associated with the use of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in northern Europe and describes the potential for, and progress in, overcoming these problems through genecic improvement. Special emphasis is placed on progress in breeding for tolerance to climatic stresses, particularly high and low temperacure and water stress which also provides options for coping with future climate change. Breeding for response to environmental and biotic factors has improved general compatibility and produced varieties with increased flexibility in grazing tolerance. Such tolerance has been achieved by changing plant morphology and also by utilising greater …

Genetic Modification – Applications For Forage And Grassland Production Systems, J. R. Caradus

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Genetic modification has been extensively used in crops for 25 years but has rarely been a technology used to advance trait expression in forage and grassland species. The exceptions are the use of herbicide tolerance and low lignin traits in alfalfa which are currently commercially available. In crop species genetic modification has been a valuable option for delivering improved economic and environmental outcomes through providing solutions for many of the challenges facing mankind. There are a many beneficial characteristics that genetic modification has the potential to provide in forage and grassland species. Managing these in the environment and understanding consumer …

Characterization Of Radiotolerance In Potato And Development Of A Gamma Radiation Phytosensor., Robert Graham Sears

Doctoral Dissertations

As humans pursue space travel and nuclear energy, the risk of harm from ionizing radiation increases. On Earth or in space, plants are essential to our personal and environmental health. Plants serve as sentinels, bioremediators and food sources in areas of high ionizing radiation, therefore it is essential to understand how ionizing radiation affects plant biology. This work aimed to understand plant responses to ionizing radiation in the potato chassis and apply that knowledge to generate novel phenotypes for nuclear energy and space applications. The first gamma radiation phytosensor was developed for monitoring at standoff distances greater than three meters. …

A Robust Agroinfiltration Method, Bryce N. Trull

Masters Theses

Stable transformation of soybean (Glycine max) is a markedly slow and laborious process. Thus, a tool that enables rapid evaluation of genetic elements in planta is critical to advance complex research and genetic engineering in soybean. To that end, a substantially robust agroinfiltration method was innovated in this work. Agroinfiltration is a technique that leverages Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation to deliver genetic elements to the cells of whole plant tissues, usually leaves. Several factors were found to be relevant to successful soybean leaf agroinfiltration, including genotype, surfactant, developmental stage, and Agrobacterium culture medium. The research represents not only …

Apple Crispr-Cas9-A Recipe For Successful Targeting Of Agamous-Like Genes In Domestic Apple, Seth Jacobson, Natalie Bondarchuk, Thy Anh Nguyen, Allison Canada, Logan Mccord, Timothy S Artlip, Philipp Welser, Amy L Klocko

Student and Faculty Publications

Fruit trees and other fruiting hardwood perennials are economically valuable, and there is interest in developing improved varieties. Both conventional breeding and biotechnology approaches are being utilized towards the goal of developing advanced cultivars. Increased knowledge of the effectiveness and efficiency of biotechnology approaches can help guide use of the CRISPR gene-editing technology. Here, we examined CRISPR-Cas9-directed genome editing in the valuable commodity fruit tree Malus x domestica (domestic apple). We transformed two cultivars with dual CRISPR-Cas9 constructs designed to target two AGAMOUS-like genes simultaneously. The main goal was to determine the effectiveness of this approach for achieving target …

Divergent Evolution Of Extreme Production Of Variant Plant Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Lu Gan, Kiyoul Park, Jin Chai, Evan M. Updike, Hyojin Kim, Adam Voshall, Sairam Behera, Xiao-Hong Yu, Yuanheng Cai, Chunyu Zhang, Mark A. Wilson, Jeffrey P. Mower, Etsuko Moriyama, Chi Zhang, Sireewan Kaewsuwan, Qun Liu, John Shanklin, Edgar B. Cahoon

Center for Plant Science Innovation: Faculty and Staff Publications

Metabolic extremes provide opportunities to understand enzymatic and metabolic plasticity and biotechnological tools for novel biomaterial production. We discovered that seed oils of many Thunbergia species contain up to 92% of the unusual monounsaturated petroselinic acid (18:1Δ6), one of the highest reported levels for a single fatty acid in plants. Supporting the biosynthetic origin of petroselinic acid, we identified a Δ6-stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (18:0-ACP) desaturase from Thunbergia laurifolia, closely related to a previously identified Δ6-palmitoyl-ACP desaturase that produces sapienic acid (16:1Δ6)- rich oils in Thunbergia alata seeds. Guided by a T. laurifolia desaturase crystal structure obtained in this study, …

Engineering Properties Of Sweet Potato Starch For Industrial Applications By Biotechnological Techniques Including Genome Editing, Ruiqing Lyu, Sulaiman Ahmed, Weijuan Fan, Jun Yang, Xiaoyun Wu, Wenzhi Zhou, Peng Zhang, Ling Yuan, Hongxia Wang

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the largest food crops in the world. Due to its abundance of starch, sweet potato is a valuable ingredient in food derivatives, dietary supplements, and industrial raw materials. In addition, due to its ability to adapt to a wide range of harsh climate and soil conditions, sweet potato is a crop that copes well with the environmental stresses caused by climate change. However, due to the complexity of the sweet potato genome and the long breeding cycle, our ability to modify sweet potato starch is limited. In this review, we cover …

A Modular Cloning Toolbox For Chloroplast Metabolic Engineering, Alexander C. Pfotenhauer

Masters Theses

Plant synthetic biology is a rapidly evolving field with new tools constantly emerging to drive innovation. Of particular interest is the application of synthetic biology to chloroplast biotechnology to generate plants capable of producing new metabolites, vaccines, biofuels, and high-value chemicals. Progress made in the assembly of large DNA molecules, composing multiple transcriptional units, has significantly aided in the ability to rapidly construct novel vectors for genetic engineering. In particular, Golden Gate assembly has provided a facile molecular tool for standardized assembly of synthetic genetic elements into larger DNA constructs. In this work a complete modular chloroplast cloning system (MoChlo) …

Improvement Of Forage Grass Quality For Future Climate And Agricultural Demands, C. S. Jensen, T. Didion, G. Gadegaard, I. Lenk, C. Gao, M. Folling, R. Sabroe, K. K. Nielsen

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

New Frontiers And Perspectives In Grassland Technology, Jürgen Schellberg, E. Verbruggen

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Grassland scientists and farmers are increasingly faced with emerging new technologies and in-formation systems that have been primarily developed by engineering sciences in particular: precision agriculture, remote sensing, geographic localization and biotechnology. Whether the implementation of any of these technologies may be beneficial in economic and ecological respect is a challenging judgment call, especially for those who have to carry over that decision on their farm. Compared to arable land, new technologies have been applied on grassland only partially and with some delay. However, as we will demonstrate, there is place for a successful implementation of new technologies in various …

Development Of A Lectin-Fc Fusion Protein With Antiviral And Anti-Cancer Activity., Matthew William Dent

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the development of a novel lectin-Fc fusion protein and its antiviral and anti-cancer activity. The molecule, Avaren-Fc (AvFc), is a fusion of a variant of the actinomycete lectin actinohivin (Avaren) and the Fc region of human IgG1, and is selective for the terminal α1,2-mannose residues found at the ends of high-mannose-type glycans that can be found on the surface of certain heavily glycosylated viruses and cancer cells. Here, AvFc was found to be able to neutralize simian immunodeficiency virus as well as Hepatitis C virus with nanomolar IC₅₀ values. Furthermore, AvFc recognizes a number of cell …

Genetic Engineering And Sustainable Crop Disease Management: Opportunities For Case-By-Case Decision-Making, Paul Vincelli

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

Genetic engineering (GE) offers an expanding array of strategies for enhancing disease resistance of crop plants in sustainable ways, including the potential for reduced pesticide usage. Certain GE applications involve transgenesis, in some cases creating a metabolic pathway novel to the GE crop. In other cases, only cisgenessis is employed. In yet other cases, engineered genetic changes can be so minimal as to be indistinguishable from natural mutations. Thus, GE crops vary substantially and should be evaluated for risks, benefits, and social considerations on a case-by-case basis. Deployment of GE traits should be with an eye towards long-term sustainability; several …

Biological Lignocellulose Solubilization: Comparative Evaluation Of Biocatalysts And Enhancement Via Cotreatment, Julie M. D. Paye, Anna Guseva, Sarah K. Hammer, Erica Gjersing

Dartmouth Scholarship

Feedstock recalcitrance is the most important barrier impeding cost-effective production of cellulosic biofuels. Pioneer commercial cellulosic ethanol facilities employ thermochemical pretreatment and addition of fungal cellulase, reflecting the main research emphasis in the field. However, it has been suggested that it may be possible to process cellulosic biomass without thermochemical pretreatment using thermophilic, cellulolytic bacteria. To further explore this idea, we examine the ability of various biocatalysts to solubilize autoclaved but otherwise unpretreated cellulosic biomass under controlled but not industrial conditions.

Plant Biomass: Insights From Imaging Cell Walls Using Molecular Probes, Utku Avci

Turkish Journal of Botany

Cell walls are an important and growing subject of research in plant biology. In the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in using cell walls as feedstock for the production of second generation biofuels. This has resulted in an expansion in the number of cell wall studies and has highlighted the need for a better understanding of cell wall structure and function. Cell walls are composed of polymers with complex and dynamic structures that vary between cell types and developmental stages as well as between taxonomic groups of plants. To address the diversity of glycans that form the …

Bioenergy And African Transformation, Lee R. Lynd, Mariam Sow, Annie Chimphango, Luis Cortez, Carlos H. Brito Cruz, Mosad Elmissiry, Mark Laser

Dartmouth Scholarship

Among the world’s continents, Africa has the highest incidence of food insecurity and poverty and the highest rates of population growth. Yet Africa also has the most arable land, the lowest crop yields, and by far the most plentiful land resources relative to energy demand. It is thus of interest to examine the potential of expanded modern bioenergy production in Africa. Here we consider bioenergy as an enabler for development, and provide an overview of modern bioenergy technologies with a comment on application in an Africa context. Experience with bioenergy in Africa offers evidence of social benefits and also some …

Anaerobic Detoxification Of Acetic Acid In A Thermophilic Ethanologen, A Joe Shaw, Bethany B. Miller, Stephen R. Rogers, William Robert Kenealy, Alex Meola, Ashwini Bhandiwad, W Ryan Sillers, Indraneel Shikhare, David Hogsett, Christopher Herring

Dartmouth Scholarship

The liberation of acetate from hemicellulose negatively impacts fermentations of cellulosic biomass, limiting the concentrations of substrate that can be effectively processed. Solvent-producing bacteria have the capacity to convert acetate to the less toxic product acetone, but to the best of our knowledge, this trait has not been transferred to an organism that produces ethanol at high yield. We have engineered a five-step metabolic pathway to convert acetic acid to acetone in the thermophilic anaerobe Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum.

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The Exometabolome Of Clostridium Thermocellum Reveals Overflow Metabolism At High Cellulose Loading, Evert K. Holwerda, Philip G. Thorne, Daniel G. Olson, Daniel Amador-Noguez, Nancy L. Engle, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Johannes P. Van Dijken, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

BackgroundClostridium thermocellum is a model thermophilic organism for the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic substrates. The majority of publications studying the physiology of this organism use substrate concentrations of ≤10 g/L. However, industrially relevant concentrations of substrate start at 100 g/L carbohydrate, which corresponds to approximately 150 g/L solids. To gain insight into the physiology of fermentation of high substrate concentrations, we studied the growth on, and utilization of high concentrations of crystalline cellulose varying from 50 to 100 g/L by C. thermocellum. .

Tracking The Cellulolytic Activity Of Clostridium Thermocellum Biofilms, Alexandru Dumitrache, Gideon M. Wolfaardt, David Allen, Steven N. Liss, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Microbial cellulose conversion by Clostridium thermocellum 27405 occurs predominantly through the activity of substrate-adherent bacteria organized in thin, primarily single cell-layered biofilms. The importance of cellulosic surface exposure to microbial hydrolysis has received little attention despite its implied impact on conversion kinetics.

Natural Treatment Systems As Sustainable Ecotechnologies For The Developing Countries, Qaisar Mahmood, Arshid Pervez, Bibi Saima Zeb, Habiba Zaffar, Hajra Yaqoob, Muhammad Waseem, Zahidullah, Sumera Afsheen

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of natural treatment systems is the re-establishment of disturbed ecosystems and their sustainability for benefits to human and nature. The working of natural treatment systems on ecological principles and their sustainability in terms of low cost, low energy consumption, and low mechanical technology is highly desirable. The current review presents pros and cons of the natural treatment systems, their performance, and recent developments to use them in the treatment of various types of wastewaters. Fast population growth and economic pressure in some developing countries compel the implementation of principles of natural treatment to protect natural environment. The employment …

Sorghum Transformation: Overview And Utility, Tejinder Kumar, Arlene Howe, Shirley Sato, Ismail M. Dweikat, Tom E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Over the past decade genomics resources available for sorghum have rapidly expanded (Paterson Int J Plant Genomics 2008:6, 2008), these resources, coupled with the recent completion of the genome sequence which is relatively small in size (730 Mb) (Paterson et al. Nature 457:551–556, 2009) makes sorghum a rather attractive species to study. Moreover, the USDA germplasm system maintains 42,614 accessions, of which more than 800 exotic landraces have been converted to day length-insensitive lines to facilitate their use in breeding programs. In addition, a set of EMS mutation stocks developed by the USDA Plant Stress and Germplasm Development Unit in …

An Improved Tissue Culture And Transformation System For Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.), Jason Neil Burris

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), a summer perennial grass native to North America, is currently being explored for its potential use in the production of biofuels. With these interests, genetic manipulation of switchgrass to produce plants that are easier to digest, have an increased resistance to diseases and stresses, and maintain viability longer in the field are required. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a reliable and efficient tissue culture system for the transformation of switchgrass. Current switchgrass tissue culture requires months for regeneration of transformants with relatively poor transformation efficiencies and are limited to derivatives of a single variety, Alamo. We …

Plant Vaccines: An Immunological Perspective., Douglas C. Hooper

Department of Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The advent of technologies to express heterologous proteins in planta has led to the proposition that plants may be engineered to be safe, inexpensive vehicles for the production of vaccines and possibly even vectors for their delivery. The immunogenicity of a variety of antigens of relevance to vaccination expressed in different plants has been assessed. The purpose of this article is to examine the utility of plant-expression systems in vaccine development from an immunological perspective.

Rational Risk/Benefit Analysis Of Genetically Modified Crops, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Safety concerns over the use of molecular biotechnology in the improvement of crops has generated substantial, heated and confusing debates, often driven by ideology and hysterics. Modification of crops is not new, and biotechnology (in its broadest sense) has been used for over a century to accelerate the development of new crops for food, feed and fibre, so as to meet the demands of a growing global community. The introduction of crops developed via molecular biotechnology [Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs)] represents the latest step in this inexorable innovative progression of technology. However, misinformed concern has led to a broad embrace …

Rules V. Standards For Patent Law In The Plant Sciences, Mark D. Janis

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article argues that US patent jurisprudence as applied to the plant sciences is moving to a second stage that will be characterized by more by incremental calibration than by spectacular change. The article discusses two doctrines of patent scope that are likely to be implicated in calibrating the utility patent system for the plant sciences: enablement and experimental use. It considers how those doctrines may be refined to serve as calibration tools in the application of patent law to the plant sciences.

Biotechnology And The Law: A Consideration Of Intellectual Property Rights And Related Social Issues, Michael D. Mehta

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Recent advances in biotechnology are expected by many to improve crop yield, reduce reliance on agricultural inputs like pesticides and herbicides, alleviate world hunger, improve the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, assist in the discovery of genes that trigger diseases like cancer, and make more efficient our legal institutions through DNA testing. Clearly, innovations in biotechnology are a powerful force for social change, and they pose unique challenges and opportunities for legal scholars and institutions. This section of the Pierce Law Review focuses on the interface between law and technology by examining how innovations in biotechnology accelerate debates about …

Crop Updates 2003 - Cereals, Graham Crosbie, Robert Loughman, Collin Wellings, Greg Shea, Simon Mckirdy, Neil C. Turner, Brenda Shackley, Wal Anderson, Darshan Sharma, Mohammad Amjad, Steve Penny Jr, Melanie Kupsch, Anne Smith, Veronika Reck, Pam Burgess, Glenda Smith, Elizabeth Tierney, Peter Burges, Moin Salam, Megan Collins, Art Diggle, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jetter, Kevin Young, Jocelyn Ball, Natasha Littlewood, Lucy Anderton, Irene Waters, Tim Setter, Jeff Russell, Reg Lance, Chengdao Li, Sue Broughton, Michael Jones, Grace Zawko, Keith Gregg, Stephen Loss, Frank Ripper, Ryan Guthrie, Daniel Bell, Patrick Gethin, Narelle Hill, Laurence Caeslake, Vivien Vanstone, Sean Kelly, Helen Hunter, Christopher R. Newman

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty one papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. Recognising and responding to new market opportunities in the grains industry, Graham Crosbie, Manager, Grain Products Research, Crop Breeding, Plant Industries, Department of Agriculture

2. Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman¹, Colin Wellings² and Greg Shea¹¹Department of Agriculture, ²University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute, Cobbitty (on secondment from NSW Agriculture)

3. Benefits of a Grains Biosecurity Plan, Dr Simon McKirdy, Plant Health Australia, Mr Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture

4. Can we improve …

Golden Rice: A Case Study In Intellectual Property Management And International Capacity Building, Stanley P. Kowalski, R. David Kryder

Law Faculty Scholarship

In order for agricultural biotechnology (agri-biotech) to play a larger role in the development of sustainable agricultural systems, intellectual property (IP) rights management must be addressed. These issues are not limited to developing countries. With increased globalization, the management of agri-biotech IP rights affects both developing and industrialized countries. In industrialized countries, for example, IP rights risk management entails protection of inventions via strong patent portfolios. For developing countries, IP rights risk management includes the acquisition of rights requisite for the use of inventions essential to the basic welfare of the population. Strategies are needed to bridge these disparate IP …

The Intellectual And Technical Property Components Of Pro-Vitamin A Rice (Goldenricetm): A Preliminary Freedom-To-Operate Review, R. David Kryder, Stanley P. Kowalski, Anatole F. Krattiger

Law Faculty Scholarship

Rice is a staple food for millions of people, predominantly in Asia, but lacks essential nutritional components such as Vitamin A. This is very important for over 180 million children and women of child bearing age who suffer from Vitamin A deficiency in Asia alone. For this reason, an improvement was made under an effort led by Profs. Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer by inserting several genes into rice to produce an improved product called GoldenRice. Because GoldenRice has the potential to be easily integrated into the farming systems of the world's poorer regions, the advent of GoldenRice promises to …

Transgenic Cotton Research Paves The Way For A New Industry In The Kimberley, Geoff Strickland, Amanda Annells

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The use of transgenic cotton varieties (INGARD®) in conjunction with t_x integrated pest management (IPM) systems in the Kimberley region is producing excellent yield and quality prospects for an emerging cotton industry in Western Australia. Geoff Strickland and Amanda Annells report on the value of transgenic cotton and the additional benefits being gained from the use of multi-faceted IPM systems.