Plant Genome Edit Selection for Predicting Heritable Traits

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing genome editing technologies struggle to predict the heritability of edits in plants, leading to resource wastage in propagating non-heritable somatic edits, which are not passed to subsequent generations.

Innovation Solution

Methods for identifying heritable edits in plants by quantifying insertions and deletions in amplified target sequences, using techniques like amplicon sequencing and fragment length analysis, to select plants with a high likelihood of heritable edits for further propagation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If genome editing is performed in plants, then desirable agronomic characteristics can be introduced, but resource intensive propagation of non-heritable edits wastes limited greenhouse space

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheritability of editsVSAvoidgreenhouse space consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing molecular analysis on edited plants before propagation to predict heritability. The method quantifies edited alleles and predicts heritability likelihood, allowing researchers to identify which plants will pass edits to subsequent generations before committing resources to propagation, thereby avoiding waste of greenhouse space on non-heritable edits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using the quantification results of edited alleles to guide propagation decisions. The molecular analysis provides feedback on the heritability likelihood, which then informs whether to propagate a particular edited plant, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes resource allocation based on predicted heritability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If genome editing is performed in plants, then desirable agronomic characteristics can be introduced, but propagation of edited plants consumes limited greenhouse space

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheritability of editsVSAvoidgreenhouse space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing molecular analysis on edited plants before propagation to predict heritability. The method quantifies edited alleles and predicts heritability likelihood, allowing researchers to identify which plants will pass edits to subsequent generations before committing resources to propagation, thereby avoiding waste of greenhouse space on non-heritable edits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using the quantification results of edited alleles to guide propagation decisions. The molecular analysis provides feedback on the heritability likelihood, which then informs whether to propagate a particular edited plant, creating a closed-loop system that optimizes resource allocation based on predicted heritability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12553057B2Methods for selecting inheritable edits

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

The reported method identifies the likelihood that a heritable sequence in a plant is to be passed onto subsequent generations. One or more genome edits are introduced into a plant cell and the gnomic DNA of the resulting plant is analyzed to determine the frequency of the one or more genome edits in the sample. Edits that are present in a quantity above a reference cutoff are considered to have a high likelihood of being heritable and capable of being passed on to subsequent generations. Edits that are present in low quantities are considered to have a low likelihood of being passed on. Plants containing desirable genome edits that are likely to be heritable are then used for cultivation and propagation.