| FY07 Research Priorities | Publications/Report Updates
Genetic Engineering and Transformation (GET)
| GET Research Area Committee Updated: 2/5/07 |
| Chair, Blake Cooper, Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc., CO |
| Vice-Chair, Steve Scofield, USDA-ARS, IN |
| Thérèse Ouellet, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ontario |
| Nilgun Tumer, Rutugers University, NJ |
Program Description
The Genetic Engineering and Transformation (GET) research area (RA) will focus primarily on development of transgenic wheat and barley with resistance to FHB. Practical outcomes of research in this area are FHB-resistant transgenic plants and technologies for rapid deployment of engineered resistance genes by breeders.
Genetic transformation will be for the purpose of rapidly producing FHB-resistant, commercially viable cultivars. Therefore, proposals should address success limiting issues; examples include the use of elite cultivars or breeding lines, testing of transgene expression in stable transformants, prior testing for effectiveness against F. graminearum prior to transformation (where appropriate), the rationale of defense strategy and why it is expected to work in the field, and field testing for FHB resistance. Science and affiliated technologies will focus on host plant resistance and will involve the introduction of non-host genes, altered/enhanced expression of host resistance genes, gene silencing and pyramiding of genes with demonstrated activity against F. graminearum in the field. Antifungal genes previously shown to be effective against F. graminearum in wheat, barley or other systems, including genes identified by other disciplines such as map-based cloning or epidemiology studies, will be utilized. Transformation of non-cereal systems will be supported for the purpose of rapidly screening potential anti-Fusarium genes.
TopFY07 Research Priorities
The Genetic Engineering and Transformation research area of the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) supports research efforts addressing one or more of the following priorities:
- Transform wheat, barley, and durum to demonstrate the effectiveness of anti-Fusarium transgenes to limit Fusarium infection and early stages of growth and spread. Early testing may be done in vitro, in growth chambers, and in greenhouses. Definitive field testing must be conducted as early as possible. Priority will be given to strong anti-Fusarium gene candidates identified in other projects (e.g., protein screening, QTLs, microarrays).
- Where possible, use modern wheat, barley and durum commercial cultivars for more realistic field evaluations and better germplasm for use by plant breeders.
- Proposals should include realistic methods to detect and measure levels of antifungal protein encoded by transgenes. (This may not be possible for low-abundance proteins, such as transcription factors.)
- Develop new transformation technologies or strategies with specific application to Fusarium resistance.
- Transform with antisense or RNAi constructs designed to eliminate expression of host genes that facilitate infection or Fusarium genes necessary for infection.
- Transform with genes that enhance signaling networks identified in the resistance response.
- Develop methods/systems for rapid screening (e.g., transient expression) of potentially useful antifungal genes in wheat, barley or Durum.
- Identify targeting sequences (promoters and signal sequences) to express transgenes in specific spike tissues and/or subcellular compartments where hyphae grow during earlier stages of infection.
- Develop Fusarium-inducible tissue-specific promoters.
- Develop strategies to enhance acceptance of Fusarium resistant transformants. Where possible, develop "like into like" (e.g., barley genes re-expressed in barley) strategies, cereal into cereal, crop plant into crop plant, etc. Reduce integrated vector sequences. Eliminate possibilities for spreading transgene to non-target plants.
- Wide species testing is still encouraged in order to rapidly discover strategies for developing resistance.
| Summary of Funding | ||
| FY05 (2005-06)* | FY06 (2006-07) | |
| Number of Projects | 20 | 7 |
| Number of PIs | 17 | 7 |
| Total Award Amount | $940,304 | $304,411 |
| % Total Rec. Funding | 19% | 6% |
| Research Projects | FY05 | FY06 |
Research Reports/Publications
- Transformation Laboratory Tours, May 7-8, 2001
- Northern Transformation Labs Tour/Workshop, September 24-25, 2001 (Group photo: PDF)