A US research team led by Montana State University has engineered yellow-seeded camelina which produces more oil, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science reported on its website.
Although camelina seeds are typically brown the research team used CRISPR gene editing technologies to disrupt three genes called TT8 that are responsible for producing seed colour and also play a key role in oil synthesis in seeds, according to the 17 October report.
The disruption of TT8 stopped pigment synthesis, meaning that the plant could commit more carbon to making oil.
According to the report, the engineered camelina produces light yellow seeds and accumulates over 20% more oil than ordinary varieties.
Levels of proteins and starch were not altered in the engineered seeds and they germinated normally, with the targeted gene mutations stably carried through to subsequent generations, the report said.
The use of new varieties with increased oil content could help increase the yield of feedstocks for use in the production of biofuels and other bioproducts, the report said.
The research was supported by the DOE’s Office of Science through a project known as ‘ECON: Enhancing Camelina Oilseed Production with Minimal Nitrogen Fertilization in Sustainable Cropping Systems’.
Additional funding was provided by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), a DOE-funded Bioenergy Research Center led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
