Tackling climate change by enhancing sorghum carbon sequestration through improving root hairs
Peggy G. Lemaux, Professor of Cooperative Extension
Plant and Microbial Biology
Applications for Spring 2025 are closed for this project.
General Description and Research Approach.
Were heat waves or intense rainfall events common when you were growing up? Now, these events are common due to effects of climate change. These events include heatwaves, more severe and frequent rainstorms, increased wildfires and droughts. Recent Los Angeles fires are an example of climate change impacts. These factors are projected to have negative effects on crop yields, causing food security issues worldwide (Li et al. 2019; Jägermeyr et al., 2021). Greenhouse gases, e.g., CO2, and methane, are culprits for these changes. One approach to address this situation is capturing larger amounts of carbon to reduce atmospheric CO2. Plants, are bio-factories, that capture atmospheric carbon through photosynthesis, storing it in its roots and also releasing exudates. Plant genetic engineering and genome editing can be used to increase carbon-sequestration. Goals of our laboratory are to use genetic engineering and genome editing to improve carbon sequestration through improved photosynthetic efficiency, and increased root biomass and exudates secreted by roots. Such projects are in collaboration with Professors David Savage at the IGI and Krishna Niyogi in PMB.
The ultimate target of our carbon sequestration efforts is Sorghum bicolor, the fifth most widely grown cereal crop worldwide. An attractive bioenergy crop, sorghum is a valuable source of food, feed and fuel (Oktem and Oktem, 2022). It uses the more efficient C4 photosynthetic pathway, resulting in high CO2 fixation into sugars. It also has high adaptability to wide ranging environmental conditions, making it a promising future crop to adapt to climate change conditions. By identifying candidates in the literature, we have focused on several genes, the most recent being RSL1 and RSL2, involved in root hair development. We will knock out and overexpress these genes to better understand the role of root hairs in addressing climate change. Our lab has improved sorghum transformation efficiency from 1-3% to nearly 50%, by including developmental genes, Bbm and Wus (Aregawi et al. 2021. Plant Biotech J doi:10.1111/pbi.13754) and editing efficiency to 95%. RSL1 and RSL2 knock-out constructs have been designed and introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens, ready to infect sorghum. 10-20 independent events will be identified and copy number determined. Single-copy lines will be generation-advanced and microscopy experiments will be performed to check the effect of gene knock-out. Ultimately we will determine effects of root hairs on root exudates, plant-microbe interactions and overall plant performance under stress conditions.
Role: Interests and skill levels of the student will dictate the specific duties and goals in which they will be involved. The student will first learn basic lab techniques employed in the sorghum project. This could include molecular cloning, transformation of sorghum and molecular analyses of transgenic plants. The student may also care for plants in growth chambers and the greenhouse, collect experimental materials and data when necessary. The student will work directly with a postdoctoral fellow, staff research associate, other undergraduates and the principal investigator. Student will participate in lab meetings and contribute to presentations and publications, as appropriate. The time commitment required will be negotiated with the student. Day-to-day supervision for this project will be by Dr. Sultana Anwar, a postdoctoral scholar.
Qualifications: Qualifications: Willingness to learn new techniques and enthusiasm for research are necessary; previous laboratory experience outside the classroom is desirable. Care-to-detail and commitment to scheduled work times are critical.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Sultana Anwar, Post-Doc
Hours: to be negotiated
Related website: https://plantandmicrobiology.berkeley.edu/users/peggy-g-lemaux
Biological & Health Sciences