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[前沿资讯 ] AAFC research proving diploid breeding is more than just small potatoes 进入全文
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
Diploid potatoes are quickly becoming the stud spuds for breeding new commercial potato varieties. Wild diploid potatoes have 2 copies of each chromosome in their DNA, unlike more traditional tetraploid potatoes, like Russet Burbank, which have 4 copies of each chromosome. Fewer chromosomes make diploid genetics easier to work with for breeders. First domesticated in the Andes of South America, diploid potatoes are often a little smaller in size than their tetraploid cousins. Their untapped genetic potential is being harnessed by geneticists and breeders to develop new diploid potato varieties for farmers. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research scientist Dr. Bourlaye Fofana is leading the pre-breeding charge for diploid potatoes. After successfully pinpointing drought resistant and early maturing genes in diploid potatoes, he’s moved onto to his next foe — common scab disease. Common scab is a widespread issue that can lead to major economic losses for producers across Canada. Lost profits from waste occur when more than 5% of a potato is affected by unsightly common scab, which means they cannot be sold to the fresh vegetable market. Also, the lesions make potatoes difficult to peel, resulting in waste and lost profits in the chip and fry markets. Common scab resistant potato varieties are scarce, so developing potato varieties with resistance is vital for the industry. Wild diploid potatoes have 2 copies of each chromosome in their DNA make-up (genome), unlike more traditional tetraploid potatoes, like Russet Burbank, which have 4 copies of each chromosome. Fewer chromosomes make diploid genetics easier to work with and their untapped genetic potential is being harnessed by geneticists and breeders to develop new diploid potato varieties for farmers. Dr. Bourlaye Fofana, along with other AAFC researchers in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and Kentville, Nova Scotia, as well as former AAFC student Dr. Braulio Soto-Cerda, now at the Universidad Católica de Temuco in Chile, evaluated 384 diploid potato clones for resistance to common scab disease. Of the 384 diploid clones, the group found 61 that are tolerant or resistant to common scab disease based on the percentage of the surface area of the potato covered by common scab, the severity of common scab, and the incidence of common scab. The 61 varieties will now be evaluated further for yield and quality as well as tested in larger commercial field plots to see how they perform in settings similar to farms.
[学术文献 ] The Silencing of the StPAM16-1 Gene Enhanced the Resistance of Potato Plants to the Phytotoxin Thaxtomin A 进入全文
MDPI
Potato common scab (CS) caused by Streptomyces scabiei is a severe disease that threatens tuber quality and its market value. To date, little is known about the mechanism regulating the resistance of potato to CS. In this study, we identified a presequence translocase-associated motor 16 gene from potato (designated StPAM16-1) that is involved in the response to the phytotoxin thaxtomin A (TA) secreted by S. scabiei. The StPAM16-1 protein was localized in the mitochondria, and the expression of the gene was upregulated in potato leaves treated with TA. The suppression of StPAM16-1 in potato led to enhanced resistance to TA and S. scabiei. Protein interaction analyses revealed that StPAM16-1 interacted with the subunit 5b of the COP9 signalosome complex (StCSN5). Similar to that of StPAM16-1, the expression levels of StCSN5 significantly increased in potato leaves treated with TA. These results indicated that StPAM16-1 acted as a negative regulator and was functionally associated with StCSN5 in the immune response of potato plants against CS. Our study sheds light on the molecular mechanism by which PAM16 participates in the plant immune response. Furthermore, both StPAM16-1 and StCSN5 could be potential target genes in the molecular breeding of potato cultivars with increased resistance to CS.
[学术文献 ] Computational design of serine hydrolases 进入全文
science
The design of enzymes with complex active sites that mediate multistep reactions remains an outstanding challenge. With serine hydrolases as a model system, we combined the generative capabilities of RFdiffusion with an ensemble generation method for assessing active site preorganization to design enzymes starting from minimal active site descriptions. Experimental characterization revealed catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) up to 2.2x105 M−1 s−1 and crystal structures that closely match the design models (Cα RMSDs < 1 Å). Selection for structural compatibility across the reaction coordinate enabled identification of new catalysts in low-throughput screens with five different folds distinct from those of natural serine hydrolases. Our de novo approach provides insight into the geometric basis of catalysis and a roadmap for designing enzymes that catalyze multistep transformations.
[前沿资讯 ] Startup grows egg proteins in potato fields 进入全文
nature biotechnology
Molecular farmers Maya Sapir-Mir (left) and Raya Liberman-Aloni are taking a global culinary favorite and transforming it into a low-cost bioreactor to manufacture egg protein. They set up PoLoPo in 2022 to engineer potato plants to produce egg-white protein without the need for expensive bioreactors. The company, which is based in Ness Ziona, Israel, has begun its first field trial growing the protein-rich tuber.PoLoPo has also developed potatoes with enhanced production of the protein patatin, which is found naturally in the tuber. The PoLoPo team genetically tweaked the potato genome to express genes that shift the plant’s metabolism towards protein production and accumulation in tubers. The team is now seeking approval from the US Department of Agriculture for the patatin-rich potatoes. PoLoPo received backing from the German venture capital firm FoodLabs. Other genetically modified potatoes are already available for sale in the USA. J.R. Simplot, based in Boise, Idaho, is already selling genetically modified Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet and Atlantic potatoes, which were created to resist bruising and potato blight.
[政策法规 ] Engineering Tomorrow: DARPA’s Push into the Frontier of Synthetic Biology 进入全文
美国国防高级研究计划局 (DARPA)
DARPA aims to tackle precisely these scaling nightmares by infusing them with fresh tools. Picture an AI-powered design-build-test cycle that runs round the clock, generating tens of thousands of experimental variants in days. Such an approach demands custom-built platforms for lab automation, capable of operating at volumes and speeds beyond what any typical bench scientist can do. Koeris insists that the future of SynBio depends on different defaults for experimental volumes, frequencies, and data capture. Instead of shaping everything around a human with a pipette, we can build microfluidic or robotic systems that revolve around the optimum scale for the experiment. He wants to eliminate the “little weeds” that often trap researchers when they try to interpret gene expression networks or cellular behaviors one micro-liter at a time. A neural network, on the other hand, doesn’t bat an eyelid at millions of data points.
[科研项目 ] Enveda’s fusion of natural product insights and AI just got a boost with a new CFO at the helm and $130M in fresh capital 进入全文
Enveda公司
Strengthening Enveda’s momentum is the recently announced $130 million Series C funding round, led by Kinnevik and FPV, with participation from new and existing investors, including Baillie Gifford, Premji Invest, Lingotto Innovation, Lux Capital, Dimension Capital, True Ventures, Cresset Partners, The Nature Conservancy, and Henry R. Kravis. This round brings Enveda’s total funding to $360 million, fortifying its ability to advance its pipeline of 10 Development Candidates, additional discovery programs, and a state-of-the-art AI platform.
