Universitat Jaume I leads European consortium to develop genetically modified citrus lines with greater resilience to climate change, pests and diseases (IMAGE)
Caption
Photo: Vicent Arbona, Miguel González, Beatriz Julián and Rosario Vidal.
A research team led by Vicent Arbona Mengual from the Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Natural Sciences at Universitat Jaume I has secured a European project under the EIC Pathfinder Challenges programme whose main objective is to generate genetically modified citrus lines with greater resilience to adverse conditions caused by climate change and its exacerbating effects on pests and diseases. The project will focus primarily on sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) and mandarin (Citrus reticulata).
Citrus fruits are functional foods that combine nutritional value with health-promoting properties thanks to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. In addition to introducing genetic modifications to improve resilience to climate change, the project also aims to promote the biofortification of citrus fruits in order to enhance their nutritional properties by increasing both naturally occurring compounds (flavonoids and furanocoumarins) and non-native compounds (resveratrol). The latter, a stilbene found in grapes and cocoa, has been selected because of its cardioprotective and anti-ageing properties.
To achieve this, the project will develop a methodology for identifying potential target genes by designing and implementing artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems capable of analysing and integrating large volumes of data in order to identify the most suitable target genes for each modification. The required genetic modifications will be carried out using New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), which are now permitted in Europe, together with the integration of new materials capable of overcoming existing biological barriers and increasing the genetic efficiency of these species. In parallel, the consortium will explore complementary strategies based on RNA interference (RNAi) technology to slow down or silence the expression of specific genes, using novel materials as delivery vehicles into plant tissues.
Credit
Universitat Jaume I of Castellón
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