News & Events

Teams across CGIAR research Centers continue to collaborate to enhance the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS), the breeding data management platform developed and maintained by CGIAR. This joint effort ensures that EBS evolves with user needs and provides crop-agnostic support to breeders across 20 crops worldwide. EBS is actively developing Molecular Data Analysis (MDA) support to help breeders identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs), which are specific regions of the genome associated with desirable traits.

Genomic prediction (GP) supports plant breeding by accelerating genetic improvement; however, the high cost associated with dense genotyping platforms restricts their use in routine breeding. This study evaluates the efficacy of PotatoMASH, a cost-effective, low-density, amplicon-sequencing platform generating SNPs and short-read multi-allelic haplotypes (haplotags), for GP in potato. First, we compared the prediction ability (PA) achieved using 2,236 SNPs and 2,000–3,390 haplotags from 339 amplicon loci of PotatoMASH with previously reported PA

A recent study has identified a tiny zinc-finger protein, named SlKNU, that acts as the master regulator of tomato fruit size. This protein functions as a molecular "brake," directly shutting down key stem cell genes to terminate floral meristem growth at the precise moment that determines the fruit's final dimensions. To prove its function, researchers utilized CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to create SlKNU knockout mutants. By disabling this gene, the molecular brake was removed, resulting in enlarged floral meristems, an increased number of floral organs, and significantly larger tomatoes with more locules than normal plants.

Researchers from Shanxi Agricultural University and Capital Medical University have developed a new CRISPR-based diagnostic tool that can detect African swine fever (ASF) in just 20 minutes. The test's simplicity and reliability make it a powerful tool for early ASF detection and rapid response to potentially help curb future outbreaks and protect the swine industry.

Type I-E CRISPR-Cas3 derived from Escherichia coli (Eco CRISPR-Cas3) can introduce large deletions in target sites and is available for mammalian genome editing. The use of Eco CRISPR-Cas3 in plants is challenging because 7 CRISPR-Cas3 components (6 Cas proteins and CRISPR RNA) must be expressed simultaneously in plant cells. To date, application has been limited to maize protoplasts, and no mutant plants have been produced. In this study, we developed a genome editing system in rice using Eco CRISPR-Cas3 via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

Researchers from Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) reported a powerful tool for editing rice genes that can create large deletions in target sites. The findings are published in Plant and Cell Physiology. The gene editing tool Eco CRISPR-Cas3, which comes from Escherichia coli, has been proven to be effective in deleting large portions of DNA in mammals. However, using this tool in plants has been a challenge because it requires all seven components of the system (six proteins and one guide RNA) to be active inside the cell simultaneously.

In a breakthrough for agricultural science, an international team of researchers, led by the IPK Leibniz Institute in Germany, has successfully decoded the pangenome and pantranscriptome of the common oat (Avena sativa). Oats, prized globally for their health benefits, including high fiber and gluten-free properties, have a genome that is notoriously large and complex. This work provides a complete genetic map essential for accelerating the development of new, improved oat varieties.

DNA methylation regulates fruit ripening in tomato, and disruption of the DNA demethylase DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2) results in genome-wide DNA hypermethylation and impaired ripening. We report here that the transcription factors Ripening Inhibitor (RIN) and FRUITFULL 1 (FUL1) play critical roles in mediating the effect of DNA methylation on tomato fruit ripening. RIN and FUL1 are silenced in dml2 mutant plants, and the defective ripening phenotype of dml2 is mimicked by the rin/ful1 double mutant. Restoration of RIN expression in dml2 partially rescues its ripening defects.

In a study conducted by researchers from Yunnan Agricultural University and partners, they found that overexpressing a fungal effector gene, PWL2, in rice can boost the plant's resistance against blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. When introduced into rice, PWL2 helped strengthen the plant's immune response and revealed a previously unknown defense mechanism in rice.

A research team from Peking University and Cornell University developed a model showing how gene drive technology could help control populations of the invasive fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), a species notorious for its aggressive behavior and invasive capabilities. The study, published in Advanced Science, explored how gene drive could suppress fire ant populations by targeting genes linked to reproduction.

The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is characterized by aggressive behavior and exceptional invasive capabilities, rendering conventional control methods largely ineffective. Here, we consider homing suppression gene drive in fire ants by developing a spatially explicit model that incorporates both monogyne and polygyne colonies. Ants may present unique challenges for gene drive due to their colony structure and haplodiploidy. Results show that after an extended period of time, gene drive effectively eliminates polygyne colonies, but monogyne populations can persist at low level.

Australian researchers have achieved a breakthrough in synthetic biology by engineering nanoscale compartments called encapsulins to significantly enhance photosynthesis in major food crops such as wheat and rice. Led by teams from the University of Sydney and the Australian National University, the five-year project tackled the Rubisco enzyme. By creating nanoscale "offices" for Rubisco, the scientists aim to enable future crops to produce higher yields while drastically reducing water use and the need for costly nitrogen fertilizers.