The development of CRISPR-based technologies has created unprecedented opportunities for editing the genes of crop plants to create optimized versions of genes that can be used in breeding programs. This project directly addresses the development and demonstration of CRISPR technologies to expand the sites that can be targeted for mutagenesis in the soybean genome or that can increase the precision by which we can edit the target genes. The goal is to expand the CRISPR toolkit for soybean. To test ideas about base editors, this work targets specific genes with known precise mutations to produce sulfonylurea or glyphosate herbicide resistance, so these will be ideal genes for proof-of-concept studies.
Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents, soybean breeders, seed companies