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Plant Metabolic Engineering Lab
The Plant Engineering lab has four platforms.
1.
Gene Discovery. The gene
discovery group is looking for novel genes to feed into the plant
metabolic engineering program. Environmental screening of samples uses
PCR, next generation sequencing and metabolomics. Focus is on native
algal populations.
2.
Development of green foxtail
millet (Setaria viridis) as a model
system for metabolic engineering of high biomass C4 grasses. S.
viridis, the progenitor for foxtail millet (Setaria italica),
is ideal for this type of research. S. viridis (Accession A10.1)
has the characteristics of an ideal model system: it is a NADP-ME type C4
grass with a small diploid genome (490 Mb) that is conserved with the
major grass lineages, it is self-compatible, it has a rapid reproductive
rate and its genome has just been fully sequenced by Joint Genome
Institute (JGI). Foxtail millet is also easily transformed and has a very
short life cycle (30 to 56 days) allowing for rapid growth and assessment
of metabolism and introduced enzymes or pathways for metabolic
engineering and plant architecture.
3.
Development of sorghum as a
biofactory for production of biopolymers, biopolymer precursors,
biofuels, and fiber. Although sorghum is more difficult to
transform than sugarcane, it can be grown on marginal soils and across
the temperate regions.
4.
Sugarcane as a biofactory for
biopolymers, biofuels and fiber. Building upon a decade of
research, sugarcane is still a key focus for our plant biofactory
program.
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