Motiviation
Globally, food security has become a topic of paramount concern due to the significant threats posed by climate change, drought, and pest-related challenges to agriculture and food production. According to data from the World Bank, annual agricultural losses due to drought exceed $150 billion, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that pest-related crop yield losses surpass 10% of global production each year. These issues not only jeopardize the livelihoods and health of billions of people worldwide but also introduce substantial uncertainty into agriculture and the food supply chain.
In this context, we are deeply concerned and motivated to find innovative solutions to address the pressing issue of food security. Our primary goal is to enhance plant resilience to drought and biotic stress, ultimately increasing food production and alleviating the pressures on global food production systems. By leveraging synthetic biology and emerging technologies, we aim to provide a practical approach to bolster plant resistance, meeting the growing demand for food worldwide.
Warning Systems
Drought Stress: NCED3-RUBY Reporting System
During periods of drought stress in plants, a gene known as CLE25 exhibits increased expression in the root system, enabling long-distance transmission to the leaves and interaction with receptor proteins BAM1 and BAM3. This process activates the expression of the NCED3 gene, with particular attention given to the NCED3 promoter, which plays a pivotal role when plants are subjected to drought stress. When water becomes scarce in the plant's environment, intensifying drought stress, the NCED3 promoter becomes active.
The RUBY reporting system is a crucial component of our project, stemming from research conducted at the University of California, San Diego's Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology and the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Innovation at Nanjing Agricultural University. RUBY is a chromogenic reporting system based on betanosides, distinguishing itself from traditional reporting systems by allowing plants to display vivid red coloration without the need for specialized equipment. This intuitive visual system holds significant implications for the study and application of plant synthetic biology.
The uniqueness of the NCED3-RUBY reporting system lies in its extensive range of potential applications. It can be utilized for real-time monitoring of plant physiological states, simplifying experimental procedures and providing researchers with a highly visual tool to better comprehend plant responses to drought stress.
Biotic Stress: GLR2.9-Bx Reporting System
Currently, the mechanisms governing plant immunity in response to pests and pathogens remain incompletely understood. However, through literature research, we have discovered that GLR2.9 is involved in the innate immune response of Arabidopsis thaliana, significantly upregulated during bacterial infections, making it a suitable receptor for responding to biotic stress.
Additionally, in a recent literature report, a research team developed a convenient reporting system called Bx, capitalizing on the visual color and fluorescence properties of betaxanthins for monitoring plant transformation. As a result, we have chosen the Bx system as part of our biological stress response mechanisms. By combining the GLR2.9 promoter with the Bx reporting gene, we enable plants to exhibit a yellow coloration when subjected to pathogen attacks. This color change serves not only as a visual indicator but also aids in the early detection of biotic stress in plants.
Significance
Our project holds substantial scientific and practical significance on multiple fronts. Firstly, by increasing food production and quality, we have the potential to effectively reduce global agricultural losses, mitigating the strain on finite resources. This will help meet the growing global demand for food, especially in the face of increasing climate change and extreme weather events. Secondly, our project serves as a critical case study in the field of plant synthetic biology, driving scientific research and innovation and providing new insights and tools for future agricultural technologies. Moreover, our approach encourages sustainable agricultural practices, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and water resources, thus contributing to environmental preservation and ecological balance. Most importantly, this innovative approach has the potential to address climate change and food security challenges on a global scale, positively impacting future food supply and sustainable agricultural development. Through collaboration and innovation, we can create a more sustainable and secure food supply for farmers and society, making a significant contribution to addressing global food security concerns.