Mini-Synplastome Hybrid Vectors for Production of Marker-Free Transplastomic Plants
The Problem
The introduction of genetically modified plants into the environment represents a biosafety risk of gene transfer to other organisms. One of the major environmental risk is associated to the presence of selectable marker genes that confer resistance to toxic molecules (antibiotics and herbicides) widely used to produce transgenic crops. To mitigate this potential problem in agriculture, research efforts must be spent in designing novel genetic engineering systems to remove selectable marker genes from the genome of transgenic plants.
The Solution
Researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed a novel genetic engineering tool to produce Solanum tuberosum (potato) transgenic plants for the plastid genome (transplastomic) with full removal of the selectable marker gene (marker-free). These mini-synplastome hybrid vectors for marker-free eliminate the ecological risk associated to potential release of selectable marker genes in the environment, producing transgenic plants with improved bioconfinement and biosafety for application in agriculture.
Benefits
| Benefit |
|---|
| Full removal of the selectable marker gene |
| Genetic stability over time |
| Improved biosafety in agricultural release |
More Information
- Tyler Newton
- Assistant Technology Manager
- 865-974-1882 | cnewto12@tennessee.edu
- UTRF Reference ID: 23129
- Patent Status: Patent Pending
Innovators
Dr. Neal Stewart
Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, UTK-UTIA
Dr. Stewart holds the Ivan Racheff Chair of Excellence in Plant Molecular Genetics. After completing a Doctorate of Biology in Plant Physiology at Virginia Tech, Stewart joined Professor Wayne Parrott’s laboratory at the University of Georgia as a postdoctoral researcher from 1993–1995. He then moved to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where Stewart was an assistant and then associat...
Dr. Stewart holds the Ivan Racheff Chair of Excellence in Plant Molecular Genetics. After completing a Doctora...
