By Jamie Martin
Corn is a major part of daily life, from food to fuel. As demand grows and climate challenges increase, scientists are working to improve maize through bioengineering. However, maize has long posed challenges for research labs, requiring high-quality embryos from mature plants and costly facilities.
A recent study published in In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology—Plant introduces a simpler approach. Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute, Iowa State University, and Corteva Agriscience tested a leaf whorl transformation method.
Instead of harvesting embryos, scientists use the central bundle of leaves from young seedlings, reducing the need for mature plants and greenhouses.
The original method depended on proprietary tools, but this new study tested a publicly available helper plasmid developed at Iowa State University. Results showed high success rates using this plasmid in two maize genotypes—PHR03 and the typically hard-to-transform B73 variety.
"It's the first step toward making this technique more feasible for labs without greenhouse facilities, as you find in industry," stated Dr. Van Eck. "It lowers the barriers for labs that previously couldn't do maize transformation and, as a result, will push the field of maize research forward."
By avoiding the need for advanced infrastructure, this method can help researchers engineer maize with improved traits such as disease resistance, higher yields, and drought tolerance. It also helps explore the genetic makeup of more challenging genotypes.
Looking ahead, researchers plan to apply this method to other maize varieties with important traits that address both environmental and farming challenges. This innovation could lead to major strides in sustainable agriculture and global food security.
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Categories: National