Over 504 million metric tons of rice were consumed worldwide in the year 2020. Rice is an essential part of many people’s diet, and a necessity for people in developing countries due to its large quantity and low price. However, bacterial and fungal infections severely damage the production of this crucial crop. Our team proposes the usage of endophytes, which are bacteria that live harmlessly in between the cell walls of plants, providing an alternative way for immunizing the rice. By inserting multiple plasmids that encodes antifungal and antimicrobial genes into a vertically transmitted endophyte, which is a type of endophyte that transfer from the parent to the offspring via seeds, we enable it to attack various pathogens, including Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, Magnaporthe oryzae, Meloidogyne graminicola. We are planning to insert antifungals such as chitinase and beta-1 3-glucanase, and the antibacterial gene anti-Xoo Xa4, into the specific endophyte Methylobacterium radiotolerans. Then we transfer this endophyte into a rice seed, providing it with immunity towards these specific diseases.

EndoFight
School
Western Reserve Academy
Hudson, OH
BioBuilderClub Season
2021-2022 Season
Category
Resources