PARP2 Gene Editing for Compact Plants With Less Inedible Biomass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial urban farming and spaceflight applications face challenges in cultivating fruit and vegetable-bearing plants due to limited space and the production of excessive inedible biomass, necessitating a need for plants with optimized growth traits that maximize harvest index and minimize non-edible biomass.
Innovation Solution
Genetically modify plants by disrupting the PARP2 gene using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to alter their developmental cycle, resulting in smaller plants with rapid fruit production and higher harvest index, suitable for confined environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If plants are grown in confined vertical farming or spaceflight environments, then space utilization is improved, but the amount of inedible biomass produced increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful element (excessive inedible biomass production) by disrupting the PARP2 gene. This genetic modification specifically eliminates the production of excessive leaves and non-edible plant parts while preserving fruit production, directly resolving the contradiction between space utilization and inedible biomass generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the biological parameters of the plant through genetic modification. By disrupting the PARP2 gene, the plant's developmental parameters are altered to produce smaller overall size with reduced leaf biomass while maintaining or enhancing fruit yield, thereby changing the biomass distribution parameters to favor edible over inedible portions.
2Length of moving object
If plant size is reduced to fit confined environments, then space utilization is improved, but fruit production capacity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the growth parameters of the plant through PARP2 gene disruption. The modified plants exhibit altered developmental parameters including reduced overall size and accelerated fruiting, demonstrating that parameter changes can simultaneously achieve smaller plant dimensions while maintaining or improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic characteristics to the plant's growth pattern. The PARP2-disrupted plants exhibit accelerated developmental dynamics, progressing through growth stages more rapidly and producing fruit at different rates compared to wild-type plants, allowing for optimized productivity within confined spaces.
3Length of moving object
If traditional dwarf plant mutations are used, then plant size is reduced, but the proportion of leafy unedible material to edible fruit remains the same
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifically targets and extracts the problematic trait (excessive leafy biomass production) by disrupting the PARP2 gene. Unlike traditional dwarf mutations that reduce overall size proportionally, this approach selectively removes the production of unedible leafy material while preserving and even enhancing fruit production, directly addressing the limitation of conventional dwarfing approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality changes by selectively modifying which parts of the plant are reduced. The PARP2 disruption specifically affects leaf and vegetative growth more than fruit production, creating a non-uniform modification where different plant parts respond differently to the genetic change, thereby improving the edible-to-inedible biomass ratio.
4Speed
If plants are forced through developmental cycles rapidly, then fruit production speed is improved, but plant size and biomass control become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the developmental parameters of the plant through genetic modification. The PARP2 disruption naturally accelerates the developmental cycle and reduces plant size simultaneously, eliminating the need for complex external controls. The genetic parameter change inherently coordinates both speed and size control, reducing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a plant having an increased proportion of edible biomass resulting from genetic modification of gene that encodes a poly(adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP)-Ribose) Polymerase (PARP) enzyme.