In this project, we will extend our proprietary technology to plant mitochondria. We have recently published our work on the successful application of CRISPR technology to gene editing of mitochondria in yeast and chloroplasts in an alga. CRISPR technology has been used in recent years to successfully gene edit nuclear genomes in plants and other organisms. In plants, genetic information resides in the nucleus, the mitochondria, and the chloroplast. To create the most desirable CMS wheat lines requires fulfillment of our Phase I research goal, production of an efficient method to gene edit plant mitochondrial DNA. Cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines can be used as the female plant in such a system. A hybrid crop system for wheat will require male sterile lines that serve as the female plants to produce hybrid seeds through fertilization with pollen from male donor plants. Yield increase of hybrid wheat also is expected to double and triple through the development of elite male and female lines over a short period. Globally, this would correspond to the potential for an additional 112 million tons and $23 billion each year. Research has shown that wheat hybrid plants with currently available inbred parents already have a potential to increase yield by 15%. Over the same time period of 80 years, wheat, which is primarily a self-pollinating non-hybrid crop, has experienced less than a 3-fold increase in yield. The use of hybrid systems for corn resulted in an 8-fold increase in yield when compared to the non-hybrid yields of the 1930s. The use of hybrid crop systems, i.e., crops with separate male and female lines used to produce hybrid seed, has been highly successful in increasing crop productivity in the past. Our solution is the introduction of commercially viable hybrid seed production for self-pollinated crops. Additionally, such breakthrough yield gains will help reduce the need for increasing farm land by deforestation, hence, protecting our environment. To address the global issue, we need to increase the yield potential of crop plants to unprecedented levels. While a certain part of food security could be managed by protecting the yield loss of crop plants from insect infestation and diseases by use of potent chemistry, it is not sustainable and is still limited by the maximal yield potential of crop plants. As the human population continues to grow with the addition of 3 billion (40% more) people in the next 40 years, supporting the population with sufficient food will become a critical global issue. Non Technical Summary One of the most pressing global challenges of our society is food security.
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