Molecular probes for callose detection to improve fruit quality and shelf-life

Overview

This offering provides a validated set of molecular probes designed to detect and modify callose, a key glucan polymer in plant cell walls. Callose accumulation influences fruit texture, sugar loading, and resistance to pathogens, making it a valuable target for improving fruit quality and extending shelf-life. The probes support both breeding programs and biotechnological approaches across tomato and a range of soft fruit crops, offering diagnostic and intervention tools for the horticulture and agri-biotech sectors.

Technical specifications

Probe types and capabilities:

• Monoclonal antibodies and peptides that detect various forms of callose in tomato pericarp cell walls
• Callose-degrading enzymes and carbohydrate binding domains that modify callose in planta
• Immunofluorescent and ELISA-based assays validated on extracted cell walls and tissue sections
• Probes expressed in fruit tissues to study callose binding and metabolism
• Immuno-localization approaches to map callose accumulation across tissues, cell types, and ripening stages

Applications:

• Diagnostic screening of callose composition linked to fruit texture, sugar content, and spoilage susceptibility
• Target identification for breeding or genetic engineering of fruit crops
• Stress response profiling in different tomato varieties with varying organoleptic properties

Technology readiness level

The probes have been validated through immunofluorescent and ELISA-based testing using both extracted cell walls and tissue sections from tomato fruit. Selected probes have been synthesized in vitro, while enzymes and binding domains have been expressed and functionally validated in planta. The next phase will correlate probe binding with fruit texture, sugar content, and spoilage outcomes across tomato varieties, establishing their use as routine diagnostic tools for breeding and crop improvement programs.