Open Competition 1 - Biotechnology

Biotechnology for Conferring Apomixis (Clonal Seed Production) to Crops

Sponsor: Gemini Life Sciences, Inc

• Project Performance Period: 11/1/2004 - 10/31/2007
• Total project (est.): $2,709,999.00
• Requested ATP funds: $1,975,002.00

Most major food, feed and fiber crops today are grown from seed lines that have been inbred to fix certain desirable traits such as yield or disease resistance. However, inbred seeds are inferior to hybrid seeds, which could provide significantly better yields and other properties. The cost of mass producing hybrid seeds (requiring carefully controlled cross-pollination) is commercially prohibitive for inbred crops. Such costs also prevent the use of breeding procedures that could more effectively optimize hybrid vigor of crops currently grown as hybrids. Because of these restrictions, seed companies today are unable to economically provide farmers with seeds that optimize crop yield potential. Gains in crop production of 10 to 50 percent could be achieved if hybrids could "clone themselves" through their own seed, a process that occurs in nature through a rare anomaly known as apomixis (asexual seed formation). Gemini Life Sciences proposes to solve this problem by developing tools for conferring apomixis to targeted crops. Gemini's tools will consist of methodologies for inducing and stabilizing apomixis by breeding and cloned genes for inducing and stabilizing apomixis by genetic engineering. Apomixis technology will enable sustainable and cost-effective increases in productivity of major and minor food, feed, fiber and biomass crops, which will allow for the continued development of a sustainable bioenergy industry and enhance traditional agricultural production capabilities. Population growth, increased energy needs, and an increasing global standard of living are driving the need for increased crop productivity. Adding to this urgency is the projected biomass production demands of the newly emerging bioenergy industry. Gemini's technical innovations are based on discoveries that elucidate the genetic complexity responsible for apomixis in nature. Technical challenges associated with Gemini's innovations include manipulating this genetic complexity to induce apomixis in major crops and stabilizing (protecting) the genes, which cause apomixis, from genetic segregation. These barriers have discouraged major seed companies and institutional investors from investing in the Gemini approach. Gemini does not have the internal funds available to rapidly advance apomixis technology, and without ATP funding, the project scope would not include the development of genetic engineering tools. A fully embraced apomixis technology could reduce U.S. crop production costs by more than 10 percent (a $10 billion annual savings) simply by raising yields of most major crops by 10 percent to as much as 50 percent. It also could reduce hybrid corn seed production costs in the U.S. by 84 percent, a savings of up to $366 million annually. Likewise, time to market for new seed products, which usually requires 12 years of breeding and field testing, could be reduced by 60 percent or more. Apomixis is an enabling technology, proven by nature to increase productivity and efficiency, which will contribute to building a strong and enduring national economy.

For project information:

Ross H. Farmer, (208) 390-0363
rkwd@srv.net

ATP Project Manager

Lawrence Uhteg, (301) 975-8779
lawrence.uhteg@nist.gov