Plant genetic engineering holds an immense potential for food security and sustainability. Yet, it remains difficult or even impossible to genetically engineer many plant species. The bottlenecks of this process can be categorized under three areas. First is the limited biological knowledge on plant gene function and regulation. Second is the tool limitations causing inefficient and species-dependent plant cargo delivery and transformation process. Lastly, the unknown interactions between plants, environment, and their microbiome jeopardizes the success of engineered plants in the field.
We develop novel approaches of nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and bioengineering to address the critical bottlenecks of plant genetic engineering. Our main motivations are to improve and enable the cargo delivery and transformation process for all plants using nanomaterials, increase the efficiency and versatility of CRISPR tools in plants, and engineer plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere for improved nutrient use efficiency. In this talk, I will describe the development of virus-like particles, which are self-assembled protein nanoparticles capable of delivering cargoes into plant cells for DNA-free plant genetic engineering, which can be used for transient genetic modifications in field conditions. Then, I will present our results on a different nanoparticle system based on carbon nanodots, which can enter and deliver cargoes to the plant shoot apical meristem for promising applications in tissue culture-free transformation. I will conclude the talk with our recent preliminary efforts in improving the efficiency of targeted gene insertions using CRISPR-associated transposons, and plant exudate engineering for enriching the root microbiome with beneficial microbes and functions.