Research Publications (Food Safety)

Summary Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the presence of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) pose serious threats to wheat production and food safety worldwide. DON, as a virulence factor, is crucial for the spread of FHB pathogens on plants. However, germplasm resources that are naturally resistant to DON and DON‐producing FHB pathogens are inadequate in plants.

Summary Wolfberry is a plant with medicinal and food values. However, its bioactive ingredients and the corresponding genetic bases have not been determined. Here, we de novo generated a chromosome‐level genome assembly for wolfberry, yielding a genome sequence of ~1.77 Gb with contig N50 of 50.55 Mb and 39 224 predicted gene models. A variation map, using 307 re‐sequenced accessions, was called based on this genome assembly.

Summary Pestiviruses, including classical swine fever virus, remain a concern for global animal health and are responsible for major economic losses of livestock worldwide. Despite high levels of vaccination, currently available commercial vaccines are limited by safety concerns, moderate efficacy, and required high doses. The development of new vaccines is therefore essential. Vaccine efforts should focus on optimizing antigen presentation to enhance immune responses.

Summary Improving tolerance to ethylene‐induced early senescence of flowers and fruits is of major economic importance for the ornamental and food industry. Genetic modifications of genes in the ethylene‐signalling pathway have frequently resulted in increased tolerance but often with unwanted side effects. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout the function of two CpEil1 genes expressed in flowers of the diploid ornamental plant Campanula portenschlagiana.

Plant Biotechnology Journal, Accepted Article. Aegilops tauschii is the diploid progenitor of the wheat D subgenome and a valuable resource for wheat breeding, yet, genetic analysis of resistance against Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the major Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is lacking. We treated a panel of 147 Ae. tauschii accessions with either F.

Plant Biotechnology Journal, EarlyView.

The densely wooded 800‐acre Madras Christian College (MCC) campus, India where I lived most of my early years, sparked my curiosity in plants. Observing the pitcher plant that captured insects, trees that produced fruits in the shape of a human skull, wild orchids, bright wildflowers, and dense vegetation amidst monsoon rains was exciting but also scary due to the wildlife, especially foxes and snakes.

SUMMARY Glyphosate is a popular, systemic, broad‐spectrum herbicide used in modern agriculture. Being a structural analog of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), it inhibits 5‐enolpyruvylshikimate 3‐phosphate synthase (EPSPS) which is responsible for the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and various aromatic secondary metabolites.

Rice yield and sustainable production are important issues for global food safety (Itoh et al., 2005). Sterility mutants are appropriate materials for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying fertility regulation in rice, and are potential germplasm for production of hybrid seeds.

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is an important orphan crop mainly grown by smallholder farmers in India and Africa. Here we present the first pigeon pea pangenome based on 89 accessions mainly from India and the Philippines, showing that there is significant genetic diversity in Philippine individuals that is not present in Indian individuals. Annotation of variable genes suggests that they are associated with self‐fertilisation and response to disease.

Kenaf is an ancient crop that is widely cultivated as a source of bast (phloem) fibers, the phytoremediation of heavy metal‐contaminated farmlands, and textile relevant compounds. Leaf shape played a unique role in kenaf improvement, due to the inheritance as a single locus and the association with fiber development in typical lobed‐leaf varieties. Here we report a high‐quality genome assembly and annotation for var.

One of the goals of biofortification is to generate iron‐enriched crops to combat growth and developmental defects especially iron (Fe) deficiency anemia. Fe‐fortification of food is challenging because soluble Fe is unstable and insoluble Fe is non‐bioavailable. Genetic engineering is an alternative approach for Fe biofortification but so far strategies to increase Fe content have only encompassed a few genes with limited success.

Phosphorus enrichment of aquatic ecosystems through diffuse source pollution is an ongoing issue worldwide. A potential solution lies in the use of fast‐growing, multipurpose feedstocks, such as trees, to limit the flow of phosphorus into riparian areas through luxury consumption. However, the perennial nature of trees and their use of leaves as storage organs for excess phosphorus may reduce the effectiveness of contaminant removal during periods of leaf abscission.

The red coloration of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) results from anthocyanin accumulation in the fruit peel. Light is required for anthocyanin biosynthesis in pear. A pear homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana BBX22, PpBBX16, was differentially expressed after fruits were removed from bags and may be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Here, the expression and function of PpBBX16 were analysed. PpBBX16's expression was highly induced by white‐light irradiation, as was anthocyanin accumulation.