Synthetic Biology for Biodesign of crops for the future

In a recent Dean's Research Seminar, "Synthetic Biology for Biodesign of crops for the future", Professor Mohan Singh explored the potential of contemporary genetic technologies to enable the bio-design of crops with valuable traits such as enhanced heat-stress tolerance, reduced fertilizer and pesticide requirement, and improved nutritional quality. He also looked at opportunities to apply synthetic biology approaches to generate smart crop plants that can adjust to the environment by activating synthetically designed genetic circuits.

Several investigations into the response of plants to climate change reveal that most crop plants will be more stressed and less productive in the future. As the world heats up, agriculture faces challenges to crop survival and reduced yield. Short-term high-intensity heat waves are becoming very frequent, adversely affecting crop productivity.

On the worldwide level, modelling predicts that Australia is in a group of countries whose agriculture output will be hardest hit by heatwaves linked to rising global temperatures. Though heat stress adversely impacts all plant growth stages, reproductive development remains the most vulnerable stage. This reproductive vulnerability leads to a significant reduction in the yields of grain crops. Thus, the challenge of sustaining an adequate global food supply under climate challenge conditions depends on the successful future development of crop plant varieties that can tolerate environmental stresses and maintain productivity under unfavourable conditions.