Frank A. Skraly

Metabolic engineering to increase crop yield: From concept to execution

Although the return on investment over the last 20 years for mass screening of individual plant genes to improve crop performance has been low, the investment in these activities was essential to establish the infrastructure and tools of modern plant genomics. Complex traits such as crop yield are likely multigenic, and the exhaustive screening of random gene combinations to achieve yield gains is not realistic. Clearly, smart approaches must be developed. In silico analyses of plant metabolism and gene networks can move a trait discovery program beyond trial-and-error approaches and towards rational design strategies. Metabolic models employing flux-balance analysis are useful to determine the contribution of individual genes to a trait, or to compare, optimize, or even design metabolic pathways. Regulatory association networks provide a transcriptome-based view of the plant and can lead to the identification of transcription factors that control expression of multiple genes affecting a trait. In this review, the use of these models from the perspective of an Ag innovation companys trait discovery and development program will be discussed. Important decisions that can have significant impacts on the cost and timeline to develop a commercial trait will also be presented.