(Press-News.org) Imagine a world where crops can thrive regardless of climate or disease and provide all the essential nutrients our bodies need. Researchers at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are now part of a U.K.-based initiative to explore that very possibility.
The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA), the U.K.’s research and development funding agency, announced June 2 that Schulich Medicine & Dentistry professor Bogumil Karas has been named as a Research and Development Creator in phase one of its Synthetic Plants program. ARIA focuses on projects with potential to produce transformative technological change, or a paradigm shift in an area of science. This specific program aims to launch a new generation of major crops that are more productive, resilient and sustainable.
“Representing 80 per cent of the world’s biomass, with scope to provide everything from food to pharmaceuticals, plants are a critical lever for addressing the twin challenges of food insecurity and climate change,” said Angie Burnett, programme director for Synthetic Plants at ARIA. “To unlock their potential, we must accelerate the pace of agricultural innovation.”
Karas, professor in the department of biochemistry, has been awarded £869,000 ($1.5M CAD) to design and develop functioning optimized plant chloroplasts that can transfer genomes into crops to provide enhanced traits.
“Our goal is to eventually enable the rewriting of entire genomes (the complete set of DNA found in a cell), not just editing individual genes,” said Karas. “If we can advance the technology to the point where we can design and synthesize entire genomes, we could develop crops that are more nutrient-dense, resilient and longer-lasting.”
Inside the Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Centre at Western, Karas’ team will be growing potatoes – the third most important crop globally in terms of food for human consumption.
Their plan is to isolate some of the plant tissues from the potatoes to create protoplasts – a “naked” cell where the cell walls are removed to be able to deliver DNA.
Then, they will take that cell and regenerate it back into the plant.
“We are building this large chloroplast genome for a particular strain of potato and then reinstalling it back into the potato cell to hopefully regenerate a new potato plant from that,” said Emma Walker, biochemistry PhD candidate in Karas’ lab.
His team’s previous research has proven bacteria can pass DNA to yeast, algae and other bacteria and they are now looking to do this in plant cells using the same natural process.
Walker explained they will be following a process she had used in the first three years of her PhD studies for building the chloroplast genome of an algal species – a different organism with a slightly smaller genome. The process, sometimes referred to as yeast assembly, involves putting overlapping pieces of DNA into yeast and the innate machinery in the cell’s nucleus recognizes the overlapping pieces and stitches them together to form a single molecule.
“You're taking overlapping fragments, throwing them into yeast, and then the yeast is doing the hard work,” said Walker.
The lab will be dedicating the bulk of their time to designing what the chloroplast will look like, how they will physically assemble it and what elements they will put into the chloroplast. The team will also develop novel methods for delivering these large, engineered genomes back into plant cells.
Karas also noted that if this technology can be developed for potatoes, it could be applied later to other crop species.
The researchers noted the initiative involves consultation with scientists, incorporates a bioethics component and will seek feedback from the general public. Phase one will also involve examining the social and ethical considerations around synthetic biology and what is needed to navigate them.
As the initiative advances, it could help drive more solutions for both food insecurity and climate change.
“Essentially, if we succeed in developing the genome-writing technology proposed by ARIA, we could have almost limitless ability to engineer the genome,” said Karas.
“This would expand the potential to make crops resistant to diseases and would allow us to introduce traits so species could survive in harsh climates and be accessible in more places,” he added. “One day, we could also look at potentially making potatoes self-fertilizing, which would benefit crop yield, help the economy and reduce pollution.”
END
Canadian researcher receives funding from ARIA to unlock potential of plants
Western University professor Bogumil Karas awarded $1.5M to optimize plants by creating genomes from scratch
2025-06-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Visionary support from Veale Foundation will establish university hospitals Veale Healthcare Transformation Institute
2025-06-02
CLEVELAND – A new visionary gift from the Veale Foundation will establish the University Hospitals Veale Healthcare Transformation Institute. The $23.5 million in support represents an investment in University Hospitals’ value-based care initiatives. Peter J. Pronovost, MD, PhD, UH Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer, will serve as the institute’s founding and first president.
“Healthcare today tells a story of scarcity – it harms too often, costs too much and learns and ...
Investigating cocaine addiction using fruit flies
2025-06-02
In a new JNeurosci paper, Adrian Rothenfluh and colleagues from the University of Utah developed a fruit fly model of cocaine self-administration that can be used to explore the genetic underpinnings of cocaine addiction.
To model voluntary cocaine intake in fruit flies, or Drosophila melanogaster, the researchers first assessed cocaine consumption and preferences of this insect. Cocaine was innately aversive to fruit flies because it activated their bitter-sensing receptors. In other words, the fruit flies did not like cocaine’s ...
Fruit flies on cocaine could reveal better therapies for addiction
2025-06-02
For the first time, researchers have created genetically modified fruit flies that can become addicted to cocaine. The flies will self-administer cocaine if given the option. The new model could prove immensely valuable for the development of new therapies to prevent and treat cocaine use disorder, a growing and deadly concern that affects about 1.5 million people nationwide.
Heredity strongly impacts the risk of developing cocaine use disorder, but the large number of genes implicated in addiction risk has made it difficult to determine which might be the best targets for therapeutics.
With their new fruit fly model ...
New data shows MMR vaccination rate decline across US
2025-06-02
A new county-level dataset from Johns Hopkins University researchers reveals a national decline in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate among U.S. children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Out of 2,066 studied counties, 1,614 counties, 78%, reported drops in vaccinations and the average county-level vaccination rate fell 93.92% pre-pandemic to 91.26% post-pandemic—an average decline of 2.67%, moving further away from the 95% herd immunity threshold to predict or limit the spread of measles.
Only four of the 33 states in studied—California, ...
Clinical validation of a circulating tumor DNA–based blood test to screen for colorectal cancer
2025-06-02
About The Study: In an average-risk colorectal cancer screening population, a blood-based test demonstrated acceptable accuracy for colorectal cancer detection, but detection of advanced precancerous lesions remains a challenge, and ongoing efforts are needed to improve test sensitivity.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Theodore R. Levin, MD, email theodore.levin@kp.org.
To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/
(doi:10.1001/jama.2025.7515)
Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional ...
Screening colonoscopy yields among adults ages 45 to 49 after lowering the colon cancer screening age
2025-06-02
About The Study: The finding of a slightly lower prevalence of any adenoma in the younger compared with the older age group (35.4% vs 40.8%) in the current study is consistent with an evaluation of 2001 screening colonoscopies from a university-based medical center between 2019 and 2021, which reported slightly lower rates of adenoma detection in those ages 45 to 49 vs 50 to 54 (34.3% vs 38.2%) and with a large study of adenoma detection rates in those ages 45 to 49 vs 50 to 54 (28.6% vs 31.8%) who underwent a screening colonoscopy before the change in guidelines ...
Trends in county-level MMR vaccination coverage in children in the United States
2025-06-02
About The Study: This county-level dataset complements the state and national-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, confirming a widespread decline in measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates in the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic while revealing significant heterogeneity in vaccination patterns within and across states. This dataset can be used in spatial and statistical analyses to identify factors associated with low or declining MMR rates in U.S. counties and help inform targeted vaccination strategies to reduce the risk of measles outbreaks.
Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Lauren M. ...
Brewed for longevity: drinking coffee linked with healthy aging in women
2025-06-02
Findings from a new study of almost 50,000 women followed for 30 years suggest that a morning cup of coffee might do more than boost energy; it could also help women stay sharp, strong and mentally well as they age.
The analysis found that women who drank caffeinated coffee in midlife were more likely to exhibit healthy aging. However, the researchers didn’t find any links with tea or decaf coffee, while drinking more cola was tied to a significantly lower chance of healthy aging.
“While past studies have linked coffee to individual health outcomes, our study is ...
Researchers find early driver of prostate cancer aggressiveness
2025-06-02
For more information, contact:
Nicole Fawcett, nfawcett@umich.edu
EMBARGOED for release at noon ET June 2, 2025
Researchers find early driver of prostate cancer aggressiveness
Study links higher expression of the gene PROX1 to aggressive change in prostate tumor cells; FDA-approved class of drugs can disable PROX1
ANN ARBOR, Michigan — Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center identified a gene that plays a key role in prostate cancer cells that have transitioned to a more aggressive, treatment-resistant form. ...
Insect protein blocks bacterial infection
2025-06-02
A protein that gives fleas their bounce has been used to boot out bacteria cells, with lab results demonstrating the material’s potential for preventing medical implant infection.
The collaborative study led by researchers at RMIT University in Australia is the first reported use of antibacterial coatings made from resilin-mimetic proteins to fully block bacteria from attaching to a surface.
Study lead author Professor Namita Roy Choudhury said the finding is a critical step towards their ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Discovery of giant planet orbiting tiny star challenges theories on planet formation
Blood sugar response to various carbohydrates can point to metabolic health subtypes, study finds
Why AI can’t understand a flower the way humans do
Top scientists call for permanent ban on high seas exploitation
A new blood-based epigenetic clock for aging focuses on intrinsic capacity
Creating ice layer by layer: the secret mechanisms of ice formation revealed
Life from oceans to savannas explained with one single rule
From mixed to matched: new marker pinpoints therapeutically relevant stem cell–derived islets
A giant planet around a tiny star: A discovery that challenges planet formation theories
One single rule helps explain life from ocean depths to open savannas
Can early exposure to dogs lessen genetic susceptibility to eczema?
Are stress and resilience factors among gender and sexual minority adolescents related to sleep health?
How does a common plant pathogen affect urban trees, and how should it be managed?
Which seeds are best to include in annual flowering seed mixes to attract insect pollinators?
How useful are states’ adolescent social media laws?
Evidence to support state policies regulating teen use of social media is limited, study finds
Pet dogs could combat genetic eczema risk in children
A threesome that hatches potato parasites
Young people discover the technologies shaping their future in the World Economic Forum and Frontiers for Young Minds collection
Real-time 3D visualization reveals potent antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against superbacteria
Abnormal uterine bleeding and insulin resistance are on the rise: Is there a connection?
Eye wear breakthrough: MXene-coated lenses for safer and smarter wearables
‘AI scientist’ suggests combinations of widely available non-cancer drugs can kill cancer cells
Phage therapy at a turning point: Global experts converge in Berlin to shape the future of antimicrobial medicine
Low calorie diets linked to heightened risk of depressive symptoms
Bronchiolitis, monoclonal antibody halves hospitalizations of children younger than six months old
Mum’s obesity linked to child’s heightened hospital admission risk for infection
Millions of new solar system objects to be found and ‘filmed in technicolor’ – studies predict
Pitt study has upended decades-old assumptions about brain plasticity
Hertz Foundation partners with Analog Devices to empower future leaders in analog, digital and software technology solutions
[Press-News.org] Canadian researcher receives funding from ARIA to unlock potential of plantsWestern University professor Bogumil Karas awarded $1.5M to optimize plants by creating genomes from scratch