Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Gene Editing for Fusarium Wilt Resistance in Banana (Grand Nain, AAA) |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Anuradha Chelliah, National Research Centre For Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu |
Timeline Start Year : | 2024 |
Timeline End Year : | 2027 |
Contact info : | anuradha.chelliah@gmail.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | The re-emergence of Fusarium wilt (FW) poses a significant threat to global banana production, affecting the Gros Michel banana industry. The disease has led to a shift to resistant Cavendish cultivars, which currently account for 99% of banana exports. However, Foc TR4 threatens these cultivars, potentially leading to their extinction in the near future. In India, the disease was first reported in 2015, causing a significant loss for the industry worth nearly 70 million UsD. Effective control strategies against FW disease are currently ineffective. short-term strategies include shifting to new areas and improving disease-resistant traits through somaclonal variation and mutagens. However, the fungus and disease will continue to spread. The only practical and long-term strategy for controlling FW is cultivating resistant varieties. Genetic transformation of Cavendish clones with resistance genes is one potential strategy, but these lines are GM and require deregulation in countries where they are grown and consumed. Gene editing, specifically the site-Directed Nuclease (sDN-1) version, can overcome these issues and reduce time to market and regulatory compliance costs. This project proposes developing non-GM Foc TR4 resistant bananas by knocking out the susceptibility factor, Downy mildew resistance 6 (DMR6)/DMR6-Like Oxygenases (DLOs), which is overexpressed in the susceptible cultivar, Grand Nain. This would help revive the banana industry and increase consumer acceptance. |
Co-PI: | Dr. Backiyarani suthanthiram, National Research Centre For Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu-620102, Dr. Raman Thangavelu, National Research Centre For Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu-620102, Dr. Uma subbaraya, National Research Centre For Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu-620102 |
Total Budget (INR): | 30,99,859 |
Organizations involved