Rapid Regeneration of Recalcitrant Plant Species

UT-Battelle, LLC, acting under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the management and operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is seeking a commercialization partner for our innovation to rapidly regenerate recalcitrant plant species. The ORNL Technology Transfer Office will accept licensing applications through March 16, 2020. ORNL researchers have focused on enhancing the regeneration of inherently recalcitrant plant species by utilizing four major regulators of DNA replication and cell division that are highly conserved across eukaryotes. Developments in this area have promise to broaden the portfolio of genome-editable plant species. A four-gene construct carrying 2-RNAi-mediated gene-silencing cassettes as well as 2-overexpression cassettes will simultaneously inhibit cell division suppressors (i.e., SOK1 kinase and Histone Deacetylase RPD) and enhance the activity of cell division inducers (i.e., mitogen-activated protein kinase and targeting protein for XKLP2). This genetic technology leverages materials and methods to improve the transformation efficiency of plant cells, particularly for those commercially important species that have been difficult to genetically engineer or where transformation efficiencies are low. The simple, easy-to-use approach enhances the efficiency of callus regeneration to enable the creation of intact fertile plants bearing desired genetic improvements. This technology was originally developed using federal funds and selected for further development under ORNL's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports technology development using royalties from existing technology licenses to accelerate the market readiness of high potential technologies. License applications will be evaluated based on prospective partners' ability and commitment to successfully commercialize the technology. If a license is executed, the ORNL researchers developing the technology will be eligible to compete for additional TIP funding to further advance the technology. Please contact Jennifer Caldwell, Group Leader, Technology Commercialization, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 865.574.4180, [email protected] with any questions and to obtain a license application for this opportunity. Intellectual Property UTB ID 201804190, Methods for Improving Callus Formation and Regeneration in Plants, U.S. Patent Application 16/525,724 and PCT Patent Application PCT/US2019/044048, filed on July 30, 2019. Additional information Please visit our ORNL webpage for additional information including technical overviews and videos at https://www.ornl.gov/content/tip-talks .