Library screening for metabolic engineering applications

Abstract

Plant based research is undermined by the lack of plant based systems that allow rapid testing of large gene libraries. Most current screening system are based on technologies that are not transferrable between species and do not allow tissue-specific or cell-type-specific screening. We are currently developing a new strategy using protoplast transformation, cell sorting based on physiological trait, and single cell sequencing, to allow screening of large gene libraries. Our group is focusing primarily on oil accumulation, but once set-up this tool could be used for screening a multitude of physiological trait. In addition, because this technology is based on protoplast, there is strong chances that this technology could be transferable to a wide diversity of plants and tissues.