Novel Gene Technology for Developing Drought Tolerant Crops

Lead Research Organisation: Durham University
Department Name: Biosciences

Abstract

Drought is a major threat to global food security. Predictive models forecast the occurrence of more frequent and prolonged droughts as a consequence of global warming. This puts unprecedented pressure on global agricultural systems, which should support a growing population without expanding the land under cultivation. Billions of pounds have been invested in research to find solutions to combat the effects of drought. One way of achieving this is to identify new genes, capable of conferring drought tolerance, for insertion into crops by genetic engineering. The major impediment has been that most genes identified to date inadvertently depress crop yields, thereby negating the purpose of maintaining stable yields under stress. We discovered a family of novel genes, which confer drought tolerance to the model plant species Arabidopsis without negatively affecting its growth or seed yield. We are developing this discovery into a gene technology platform to protect crops against drought.
 
Description The research aimed to develop a gene technology for generating drought-tolerant crops. A family of genes identified in a weed of no value to agriculture was found to have an unexpected function in regulating plant responses to drought stress. We then generated oilseed rape plants expressing high very levels of these proteins to test if this can protect the plants from the negative effects of drought. For most crops, there are two growth stages when they are most vulnerable to drought: (i) the seedling stage, just before the root system has developed enough to explore a much bigger volume of soil for water and nutrients and (ii) the floewring stage at which lack of water may trigger flower abortion. We found that plants highly expressing the proteins are well-protected from seedling death resulting from early onset drought. At the flowering stage, we found that plants with these proteins continue to flower when normal plants are affected by the severe drought. However, if the drought period is prolonged to make it a severe category drought, the continued flowering does not translate to better seed yield. Thus, this technology will work well for protection of seedlings and flowering plants within certain limits. Prolonged severe droughts remain intractable, particularly because life cannot exist without water. Further research is now limited to moderate droughts and expected economic dividends to farmers.
Exploitation Route We generated more lines than we could test within the project time and so continue to test these ourselves to strengthen the patent position.
Sectors Agriculture, Food and Drink
 
Description Developing a Microbial Soil-Treatment Technology for Crop Protection from Drought Stress
Amount £25,399 (GBP)
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2022 
End 03/2023
 
Description GCRF Agrifood Africa Innovation Awards
Amount £40,000 (GBP)
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2020 
End 06/2021
 
Description Newton Funding
Amount £107,600 (GBP)
Funding ID NA160140 
Organisation The Royal Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2016 
End 11/2019
 
Description Non-disruptive in situ root imaging to investigate the role of soil microbes in cowpea drought stress-adaptive responses
Amount £8,000 (GBP)
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 03/2023
 
Description Unravelling sorghum strategies to enlist soil microbes for drought survival and unlocking inaccessible nutrients
Amount £131,250 (GBP)
Funding ID NIF\R1\221653 
Organisation The Royal Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 01/2025
 
Description Durham University-Plant Bioscience Ltd. collaboration 
Organisation Plant Bioscience Limited Technology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We have prepared gene constructs that will be used to transforms oilseed rape for functional validation of target genes in a crop species.
Collaborator Contribution The partners have funded transformation of oilseed rape plants by a plant transformation service provider.
Impact The partnership has resulted in a BBSRC grant award for further research.
Start Year 2015
 
Description Durham University-University of the Free State Research Collaboration on Drought 
Organisation University of Free State, Bloemfontein
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I am working in partnership with a team in the Plant Sciences department of the University of the Free State (South Africa) on a collaborative project investigating the mechanisms by which sorghum evades drought stress damage. Our contribution to the project is analysis of gene and protein expression and identification and quantification of selected metabolites. Members of the South African team have also come for training in my lab on multiple visits lasting up to 3 months each. I have also contributed to the partnership by writing manuscripts for publication.
Collaborator Contribution The South African team generated the research material (sorghum cell suspension cultures) and acquired various sorghum lines (from South African breeders) that we are using for this research. The group generated protein and metabolite samples from the treated plants and sends these materials for analysis to my lab in Durham. Some experiments requiring advanced facilities they do not have in South Africa have been conducted by members of the South African team during visits to my lab at Durham University.
Impact 1. Academic publications 2. Research student training 3. Capacity-building in South Africa
Start Year 2016
 
Description Invited seminar at Newcastle University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This seminar attracted academics, undergraduate and post-graduate students. I presented a seminar on my research results and then had discussions with a few academics afterwards. We then established a collaboration and applied for a joint BBSRC-funded studentship. The student is in her first year and so will be able to carry this research forward.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Invited seminar at the University of Cambridge, UK 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact This was an invited seminar delivered to the department of Plants Sciences (academic staff, undergraduate students, post-graduate students). After the seminar, I had a special closed-door meeting with international students to discuss about my work and personal career path as a way to provide a role model for students from BAME backgrounds. One of the editors of a reputable journal publishing plant research was present at the seminar and so extended an invitation for me to write a commissioned article on drought for the New Phytologist. This was a great outcome that has already led to many researchers reaching out to me from many countries.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Invited to a Drought Big Ideas Meeting at Ben Gurion University of the Negev 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This was a British Council-funded meeting that brought together UK, USA, and Israeli researchers with industry. The event took place at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and many students from local universities and research institutes were in attendance. I presented my work (as did the other academics) in an open session that was open to the public, but we then moved to a closed session where the invited academics and industry people had very deep discussions about strategies to establish a cross-disciplinary team to tackle the intractable challenge of the impact of drought on agriculture.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018