Compact Tomato Plants via CRISPR Gene Editing for Urban Agriculture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urban agriculture is limited by the few crops that can be cultivated under restrictive growth parameters, with staple crops like tomatoes needing modification for compact and rapid cycling traits to optimize efficiency and productivity, currently dominated by leafy greens due to lack of suitable fruit crop varieties.
Innovation Solution
Genetically altered tomato plants with mutations in genes such as Solyc08g061560, Solyc05g053850, Solyc06g074350, and Solyc04g072570 are developed using CRISPR-Cas9 to create compact, early-yielding forms with traits like rapid flowering and precocious growth termination, suitable for urban agriculture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional tomato varieties are grown in urban environments, then fruit production is maintained, but plant size and growth duration are too large for restrictive urban spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the genetic parameters of tomato plants through CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Specific genes (SlER, SlERL1, SP, SP5G) are targeted to alter plant architecture parameters including internode length, flowering time, and growth duration. This enables the plant to transition from indeterminate to determinate growth habit, reducing overall plant size while maintaining fruit production capacity suitable for urban environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the control of plant growth by targeting multiple independent genes that regulate different aspects of plant development. By separately modifying SlER/SlERL1 (affecting internode elongation), SP/SP5G (affecting flowering and growth termination), the patent achieves modular control over plant architecture, allowing independent optimization of plant size and productivity parameters.
2Volume of moving object
If compact tomato varieties are developed through genetic modification, then plant size is reduced for urban agriculture, but genetic complexity and breeding difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universality of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to address multiple genetic targets with a single platform. The same Cas9 nuclease and guide RNA delivery system can target different genes (SlER, SlERL1, SP, SP5G) to achieve various compact growth phenotypes. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall genetic modification process compared to using different molecular biology techniques for each gene.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses CRISPR-Cas9 to create precise copies of mutant alleles at specific genomic loci. By designing guide RNAs that match target genes and providing a donor template with the desired mutation, the system copies the mutant sequence into the genome, creating heritable compact growth traits without requiring complex traditional breeding procedures.
3Loss of time
If rapid cycling traits are introduced into tomato plants, then crop turnover time is reduced for urban agriculture, but yield per plant may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by inducing determinate growth habit and accelerated flowering through genetic modification before the plant enters production. By pre-programming the plant to terminate vegetative growth and transition to reproduction earlier (through SP/SP5G mutations), the plant completes its lifecycle faster, enabling rapid cropping cycles while maintaining sufficient fruit set during the condensed production period.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates dynamic control over plant development by using genes that respond to environmental cues and hormonal signals. The modified plants can dynamically adjust their growth trajectory, transitioning from vegetative to reproductive phases more rapidly in response to genetic triggers, thereby compressing the overall crop cycling time while maintaining productivity through optimized resource allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to plants containing one or more of a mutant sler (Solyc08g061560) gene or a homolog thereof, a mutant sp5g (Solyc05g053850) gene or a homolog thereof and a mutant sp (Solyc06g074350) gene or a homolog thereof, as well as methods of producing such plants. In some aspects, such plants have one or more improved traits, such as modified stem length and modified time for flowering and fruit production.