Parceria:
1. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Plantas (IBqM), Programa de Biotecnologia Vegetal e Bioprocessos
Coordinator: Adriana Silva Hemerly (CAPES Print Mission - Prof. Senior Visitor Abroad: October/2020 a February/2021)
2. VIB-UGent, Center for Plant Systems Biology Gent, Belgium
Coordinator: Dr. Dirk Inzé

Destaques: Agricultural outputs will need to keep up with the pace of growth of the world’s population and as land for agriculture is limited, it is necessary to improve the productivity of crops per acre to sustainably meet this demand. This is a challenge, especially when losses in plantations due to climate change can reduce productivity by up to 70%. As sessile organisms, plants have developed the ability to grow in different environments through interaction and response to environmental stimuli, modifying their growth through the regulation of cell divisions. The LBMP / IBqM / UFRJ identified genes and regulatory networks that control the rates of cell division in plants, integrating them with environmental signaling. This project in partnership with PSB / VIB-UGent aims to develop biotechnological tools using gene editing technologies by CRISPR, based on the genes identified by the UFRJ group, aiming to increase plant yield. Maize plants were produced by gene editing (non-GM varieties) and were analyzed during the scientific visit. The results are promising and have been included in a patent held by UFRJ, filed at USA. The partnership is being continued to test other genes in corn, opening up opportunities for new scientific exchanges and training of students and researchers. The use of gene editing (CRISPR) drastically reduces costs and time to produce plant varieties with higher yield. Besides, this technology has a positive impact on sustainability and on reducing deforestation. Finally, 1 in 8 people in the world is malnourished, and increasing plant yields offer hope.

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