Tomato
Partner: John Innes Centre
Innovation: Anthocyanins are plant pigments, usually expressed as red, purple, or blue, believed to offer health promoting, or protecting, properties when included in the human diet. Although there is epidemiological and cell-based evidence to support this idea, plants that could provide the proper control comparison, for example berries without anthocyanins, are unavailable. Genetic modification offers the opportunity to develop identical isogenic lines with, or without, anthocyanins and investigate this further.
Scientists at JIC have expressed two genes for production of anthocyanins in tomato fruit which originated from the garden ornamental species Antirrhinum (snapdragon). The objective is to establish whether the tomato can act as a delivery mechanism for anthocyanins.
Camelina 77
Partner: Rothamsted Research
Innovation: Camelina originates from the Mediterranean where the oil, produced from the seeds, has been used for centuries in oil-lamps and in cooking. The annual spring crop has been grown for more than 20 years in the UK as a game cover crop and on set-aside land. It is drought-resistant and suited to dryer conditions. Genetic modification offers the ability to improve the long-chain fatty acid content, currently around 40% ALA, making the oil suitable for culinary and nutritional use beyond that achievable through conventional plant breeding. The fatty acids can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve general health and are particularly important for foetal development.
Potato
Variety: Desiree
Partner: John Innes Centre
Innovation: Genes conferring resistance to the disease potato blight (Phytophthora infestans), also known as late blight, have been overcome frequently as new races have evolved, leading to the breakdown of resistance in the field. Introducing resistance genes from South American relatives of the potato through genetic modification is one method of placing very high levels of resistance against different strains of blight, which are highly likely to be durable, into potato backgrounds suited to particular commercial requirements.
Potato
Partner: Wageningen University
Innovation: These potatoes are equipped with genes that make them produce new types of starch granules with new characteristics for use as an improved plant-based raw material in the construction, paper, glue, fodder and food industries. The starch granules are much larger and are able to retain more fluid, so smaller amounts of starch will result in the same viscosity, which is ideal in sauces and desserts
Winter Wheat
Innovation: Incorporating unique cereal rust resistance traits from wild emmer Triticum dicoccum sp diccocoides into UK winter wheat (var: Glasgow). It allows UK and North European researchers to study the resistance gene’s environmental and physiological triggers as well as whether the resistance gene will be maintained in a European background.
Oilseed Rape
Partner: John Innes Centre
Variety: Brassica rapa (R-o-18 and EMS 395a 2.5)
Innovation: Pod shatter resistance by mutation
Variety: Brassica juncea (35S FUL 1 and FUL 2)
Innovation: Pod shatter resistance by genetic modification
Variety: Brassica napus (POSH 148 and 169)
Innovation: Pod shatter resistance
Variety: Brassica carinata (179 and 345)
Innovation: Pod shatter resistance by conventional breeding methods
Linseed
Variety: Flanders
Partner: Rothamsted Research
Innovation: Introducing material from the Orchid Primrose (Primula vialii) through genetic modification produces linseed crops with an enhanced oil profile, unavailable using conventional breeding methods. Flanders has a higher ratio of omega-3:omega6 than conventional varieties. It has higher levels of stearidonic acid, an unsaturated omega-3 fatty acid critical in protecting against heart disease as well as providing other health benefits, and very low levels of linolenic acid.
