Genome editing services for targeted trait engineering in vegetable crops

Overview

This offering provides vegetable crop improvement through advanced genome editing techniques, enabling the development of targeted traits in a range of vegetable species. The approach combines CRISPR/Cas12a gene editing with proven strategies for generating quantitative genetic variation, including base editing, cis-regulatory targeting, and tiled guide RNA designs. These methods allow researchers and breeding programs to replicate known genetic effects or create new allelic variation for desired crop traits such as yield, quality, disease resistance, and plant architecture.

Technical specifications

Core capabilities:

• CRISPR/Cas12a gene editing with established tissue culture protocols
• Base editing to recover single-base edits that deliver expected phenotypic outcomes
• Targeting of cis-regulatory regions to engineer quantitative trait variation
• Tiled gRNA strategies (6–8 guides within a single genomic window) to maximize editing efficiency and generate structural variations including deletions, insertions, translocations, and inversions
• Gametophyte-specific promoters (e.g., EC1, LAT52) for enhanced editing
• Genotyping by amplicon-sequencing or TaqMan assays for selection
• Vector construction using Golden Gate cloning and gene synthesis
• Delivery via Agrobacterium or biolistics
• Access to approximately 1,000 sq ft of greenhouse space and multiple research stations for field trials and screenings

Validation workflow:

• Genomic resource assessment for the target crop
• Tissue culture and transformation protocol establishment
• sgRNA design and optional protoplast RNP delivery for editing efficiency confirmation
• Generation of T0 plants with genotyping and selection
• Backcrossing to generate CRISPR screening populations
• Phenotyping under controlled conditions or in field settings
• Delivery of homozygous stable lines

Technology readiness level

The underlying methods have been validated in published research demonstrating successful trait engineering through cis-regulatory targeting and tiled gRNA strategies in tomato. The platform is ready for collaborative application to new vegetable crops and traits, with established protocols for construct design, transformation, and population generation. Base editing remains a developing approach with lower efficiency in plants and intellectual property considerations, while cis-regulatory targeting offers a robust alternative for loss-of-function alleles.