Regulation, Control and Design of Plant Root Systems for Production of Valuable Chemicals

Roots in nature produce an astonishing variety of secondary metabolites, many of which have been used as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flavors, fragrances, etc. A recent experimental system, 'hairy root' cultures obtained by transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, has been developed and become a useful tool for understanding basic root biology. The 'hairy root' approach also has several advantages over other plant tissue culture systems for the production of plant chemicals: fast-growth as organized cultures, higher and stable yields of secondary metabolites, production of both intra- and extracellular metabolites, and direct amenability to genetic engineering. The goal of this proposal is to integrate expertise in the biological and engineering sciences towards the development of commercially viable plant root systems.