I have identified a peptide that acts as a broad-range bioherbicide by triggering stress signals in plants, effectively eliminating even herbicide-resistant weeds. I'm also developing crops resistant to this peptide, allowing farmers to apply it as a post-emergent bioherbicide. Using CRISPR, these gene-edited, non-transgenic crops (suitable for regions banning transgenic GMOs) will be blind to the stress peptide, making them both herbicide-resistant and more resilient to environmental stresses. To develop these improved crops, I am leveraging peptides that accelerate plant regeneration, transformation, and gene-editing processes.
This peptide bioherbicide offers a safe and sustainable alternative to glyphosate, functioning as both a post-emergent herbicide and a crop desiccant. The peptide-resistant crops are also climate-resilient, further enhancing food security by thriving in challenging environmental conditions. The peptides that are used in the gene-editing pipeline are also species-agnostic. Hence these peptides can be used to accelerate crop improvements in species that are recalcitrant and challenging to conventional gene-editing techniques.
This project involves designing peptides and conducting assays to evaluate the bioherbicide's efficacy on various weeds. For the development of the resistant crops, this requires gene-editing using CRISPR and conducting subsequent assays to demonstrate the resistance against the peptide and environmental stresses. To accelerate the integration of this resistance trait into target crops, I am using peptides that overcome key barriers in plant tissue regeneration, transformation, and gene-editing.
To enable large-scale production for field application, the project will optimise peptide biosynthesis in bioreactors. This approach ensures that peptide production is both sustainable and environmentally friendly, offering a greener alternative to conventional chemical synthesis