BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA, US — South Dakota State University (SDSU) has received a $270,244 grant from the National Institute of Food of the US Department of Agriculture to modify the genetic code of wheat plants using a promising enzyme to make them more tolerant to heat stress.
Researchers are concerned with rising temperatures due to climate change in the world’s important wheat production areas taking a toll on the staple crop because heat stress can significantly reduce yields.
Wheat is the world’s second-most produced cereal crop and an essential ingredient for bread, pasta, pizza, beer, breakfast cereals and many other foods. The International Grains Council projects the world will consume 799.7 million tonnes of wheat in the 2024-25 marketing year.
“Our goal is to improve heat tolerance of wheat via precision genome editing technology,” said Wanlong Li, PhD, the primary investigator on the project and a professor in the Department of Biology and Microbiology at SDSU.
Li said Rubisco activase, an encouraging, recently emerged enzyme, can enhance heat tolerance and photosynthesis in wheat varieties. The team will precisely edit the targeted gene using CRISPR technology to create novel wheat plants that can be tested in a variety of temperature and climate conditions.
The expected two-year project is titled “Precision Editing of TARCA2 for Enhanced Heat Tolerance in Wheat.”
“This award will allow Dr. Li and his team to investigate gene alterations that will increase the thermostability of Rubisco activase, an enzyme linked to heat tolerance in wheat and other plant species,” said Jeremy Chambers, head of the Department of Biology and Microbiology. “His team will use advanced gene editing to sustain wheat health by adjusting the temperature optimum in anticipation of warmer crop seasons.”
