Delivering Genome Edits Through the Bayer Crop Science Trait and Germplasm Product Pipeline

Bayer Research Author

08/14/2020 Added

197 Plays

Description

A glimpse into Bayer Research with Dr. Jacqueline Benson McRoberts

Searchable Transcript

Search:

[00:00:00.560]Hi, my name is Jacqueline Benson McRoberts,
[00:00:02.760]and I'm the crop efficiency gene editing platform lead
[00:00:05.600]at the crop science division of Bayer.
[00:00:07.730]We were really excited to be invited by you,
[00:00:10.060]the National Association of Plant Breeders,
[00:00:12.120]to provide a glimpse into our
[00:00:13.820]trait and germ plasm product pipeline;
[00:00:16.220]with a specific focus on gene discovery,
[00:00:18.450]editing, precision breeding, and commercial deployment.
[00:00:21.630]Bayer is an innovation company and our team in R&D
[00:00:25.290]is using the latest science and technology
[00:00:27.430]to deliver better products to farmers
[00:00:29.290]that will help them grow healthy, safe,
[00:00:31.050]and affordable food, sustainably.
[00:00:33.460]Now, onto a bit about the process.
[00:00:36.370]Concepts for commercial products
[00:00:38.050]are driven by farmers' needs,
[00:00:39.650]and inform native and biotech discovery,
[00:00:42.240]as well as precision breeding efforts.
[00:00:44.970]Candidate gene targets are identified
[00:00:47.090]from a wide variety of sources,
[00:00:48.750]including those you are very familiar with,
[00:00:51.090]like genome mapping, association analysis,
[00:00:53.910]and scientific literature reviews.
[00:00:56.290]Additionally,
[00:00:57.123]we partner with external discovery collaborators
[00:00:59.270]who are aligned on our research focus
[00:01:01.460]and provide strong candidates with demonstrated activity
[00:01:04.340]for our internal prioritization process.
[00:01:07.570]Once we have a candidate gene identified,
[00:01:09.470]the next step is to choose the right tool.
[00:01:12.080]Breeding traits conventionally
[00:01:13.550]is an important part of our seed business
[00:01:15.330]and is currently the only approach
[00:01:17.170]used in our vegetable business.
[00:01:19.280]In our row crop business,
[00:01:20.560]a few of the key choices include
[00:01:22.310]transgenes, native traits, or edits.
[00:01:25.370]The following questions among others
[00:01:26.860]help us to narrow that choice.
[00:01:28.770]Is this gene native to the crop of interest?
[00:01:31.280]If the source is external to our crop of interest,
[00:01:33.750]we'll take the transgenic route
[00:01:35.060]to introduce these unique genetic traits.
[00:01:37.290]If it's internal, it opens the doors to genome editing,
[00:01:40.100]where we can create specific genetic variation,
[00:01:42.660]or native traits, to which we'd ask the following question.
[00:01:46.160]Is there natural variation
[00:01:47.600]for the gene of interest in our germ plasm?
[00:01:49.920]If yes, this opens the door to the possibility
[00:01:52.620]of native trait exploration.
[00:01:54.720]Once a native trait donor is found in our germ plasm,
[00:01:57.240]it can then be bred into the pipeline germ plasm.
[00:02:00.720]If we choose to go through the pipeline
[00:02:02.750]with either transgenes or edits,
[00:02:04.890]the next critical step is design of the vector,
[00:02:07.520]or desired edit, respectively.
[00:02:09.880]Should we choose to go the native trait route?
[00:02:12.160]We start a search and screen phase
[00:02:14.050]to identify a germ plasm that carries an effective allele.
[00:02:18.130]Now, let's take a deeper dive into the editing choice.
[00:02:21.640]As an advanced breeding tool,
[00:02:23.230]gene editing allows us to fully leverage
[00:02:25.580]and create genetic diversity that can be applied
[00:02:27.850]with other plant breeding techniques,
[00:02:29.410]to make incremental gains in modern agriculture.
[00:02:32.580]In order to successfully apply editing to crop improvement,
[00:02:36.200]it is important to understand the causal mechanisms
[00:02:39.160]underlying the genetic architecture
[00:02:40.810]for traits of interest, so that way,
[00:02:42.650]we know what and how to edit the target region.
[00:02:46.320]It's also critical that we have
[00:02:48.160]the right tools for the job, and actually,
[00:02:50.840]we are well-positioned to develop these tools;
[00:02:53.210]through both our internal pipeline and key collaborators
[00:02:56.220]who are focused on overcoming technical challenges
[00:02:59.080]and delivering transformative editing tools,
[00:03:01.360]like base editors, that will help us make
[00:03:04.200]precise changes for product development.
[00:03:07.180]Once the edit has been designed
[00:03:09.150]and successfully introduced into the plant genome,
[00:03:12.000]the edit proceeds through a robust testing
[00:03:14.180]and selection process.
[00:03:16.260]This evaluation process is critical,
[00:03:18.450]regardless of how the variation is being introduced,
[00:03:21.190]be it an edited, native, or transgenic trait.
[00:03:24.630]The process is focused on characterization of the allele,
[00:03:27.630]as well as agronomic and molecular assessments.
[00:03:30.670]Often, initial characterization of the trait
[00:03:32.870]is performed in a controlled environment,
[00:03:34.500]as a first look and selection step.
[00:03:36.900]When applicable,
[00:03:37.820]selection is also based on the entry
[00:03:39.820]meeting stewardship guidelines for testing in the field.
[00:03:42.890]Once in the field,
[00:03:43.880]the allele must meet performance criteria
[00:03:46.320]defined for delivering trade efficacy,
[00:03:48.650]and is also tested for overall agronomic performance
[00:03:51.600]across representative geographies and growing seasons,
[00:03:54.310]to ensure that there are no unintended phenotypes,
[00:03:57.150]and that the desired trait performs across environments.
[00:04:00.570]If the allele continues to perform,
[00:04:02.550]studies may be performed to describe the mode of action
[00:04:05.520]to support the product's global regulatory reviews.
[00:04:09.440]Once we've evaluated and selected for the final allele,
[00:04:12.660]be it a native, transgenic, or edited trait,
[00:04:15.700]the next critical step in the process
[00:04:17.850]is to integrate the trait into our elite germ plasm pool.
[00:04:21.500]There are several points in a breeding program
[00:04:23.570]where the allele of interest can be introduced
[00:04:25.670]for product development and eventually deployment.
[00:04:28.610]Clint Turnbull is going to provide us
[00:04:30.590]with an overview of the breeding program
[00:04:32.540]and we'll highlight one of the main approaches
[00:04:34.530]to introducing the traits of interest.

The screen size you are trying to search captions on is too small!

You can always jump over to MediaHub and check it out there.

Comments

0 Comments

Delivering Genome Edits Through the Bayer Crop Science Trait and Germplasm Product Pipeline

Description

Searchable Transcript

Comments icon comment

Related Channels

Comments