Tn-Seq platform for identifying plant colonization genes in endophytic bacteria
Research collaboration to use transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq) on endophytic bacteria Azospirillum and Herbaspirillum to identify genetic elements driving plant colonization. The work supports reduced fertilizer use and improved crop resilience to drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress.
Overview
Endophytic bacteria such as Azospirillum and Herbaspirillum live inside plant tissues and can naturally stimulate crop growth, reduce the need for nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, and help plants tolerate drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination. This project applies transposon sequencing (Tn-Seq) to systematically uncover the genetic elements that allow these microbes to colonize maize, soybean, and other crops. Identifying these genes provides targets for synthetic biology approaches to engineer more effective microbial inoculants for sustainable agriculture.
Technical specifications
Research approach:
- Tn-Seq libraries of Azospirillum and Herbaspirillum are used to inoculate maize or soybean plantlets
- Colonization patterns are measured in plant tissues, with Az preferentially associating with shoots and He with roots
- Computational analysis of gene frequency reveals genomic regions involved in plant colonization
- Identified genes are validated through a plant model to confirm their role in colonization
- Whole-genome sequences of both strains, generated via Illumina sequencing, support random and site-specific mutagenesis and transcriptomic analysis
Target applications:
- Reduced nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer requirements in red clover, Kikuyu grass, maize, wheat, barley, and soybean
- Improved crop performance under abiotic stress conditions including drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination
- Genetic elements for synthetic biology modular design of next-generation microbial inoculants
Technology readiness level
The endophyte strains have already demonstrated plant growth benefits in greenhouse and field trials on red clover and Kikuyu grass, both alone and in combination with rhizobia. Genome sequencing and initial transcriptomic and mutagenesis analyses are underway. The Tn-Seq screening and plant model validation are expected to take approximately one year to complete. The research team is seeking partners to support genomic library construction, Illumina sequencing, small equipment, and personnel funding.
About Agrosavia
AGROSAVIA is Colombia’s public agricultural R&D corporation near Bogotá, operating a nationwide network of research centers and experimental farms. Co-located labs, greenhouses, pilot plots and living collections—including national germplasm banks—enable rapid prototyping and access to diverse genetic resources. An outreach and innovation network links companies and producer groups to multi-site trials and farmer engagement across varied agroecological zones. Research is backed by the Government of Colombia—principally the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development—with competitive national and international funding, and a technology transfer function to structure collaboration and IP.
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