TREC Seminar Series 2024 - Genome Editing in Cucurbits by Dr. Thakur

Abstract:
Globally, Cucurbitaceae family includes the most genetically diverse
fruits and vegetables contributing greatly to human diet and nutritional
security. Cultivation of cucurbit crops is affected by various abiotic and
biotic stresses, amongst which powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii)
(PM) and downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora cubensis) (DM) are
devastating. These fungal diseases can infect cucurbit plants at any
growth stage and across all seasons, often resulting in reduced
marketable yield, as well as undesirable fruit qualities characterized by
poor flavor and shortened storage life. Development of disease
resistance varieties, manipulation of metabolic pathways for
tolerance/resilience, and harnessing the host-pathogen crosstalk can be
utilized for amelioration of the losses. The resistant source against the
PM and DM are not known till date in commercial cultivars except
from wild species and have been difficult to transfer. Disruption of
susceptibility genes (S-genes) is an attractive alternative for resistance
breeding in cucurbits. The genome editing techniques especially
CRISPR/Cas9 system have the potential to knock-down susceptible
gene(s) and successfully employed in crops. The technology is
constantly evolving for more precision and has immense potential but
has not been used in cucurbits extensively. The long-term goal of our
group is to create durable and broad-spectrum resistance to PM and
DM by creating loss-of-function S-genes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that the captions on this video are not revised.