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Genetic Engineering Of Turfgrass For Enhanced Performance Under Environmental Stress, Man Zhou

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Turfgrass species are agriculturally and economically important perennial crops that are susceptible to biotic stress (e.g. fungal pathogens) and abiotic stress (e.g. salinity and drought). Every year, environmental stress significantly influences turfgrass quality and production causing economic loss globally. My research explores the feasibility of using two novel transgenes - Penaeidin4-1 (Pen4-1) from the shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus, and microRNA319a (miR319a) from the rice, Oryza sativa, to genetically engineer turfgrass for enhanced tolerance to environmental stress.
The antimicrobial peptide - Pen4-1 has been reported to possess in vitro antifungal and antibacterial activities against various economically important pathogens. In this study, two …