The Cotton Genetic Improvement Team transfers two cotton biotechnology patents

Nanhu News Network News (correspondent Jin Shuangxia) Recently, the cotton genetic improvement team of our school transferred two patents to Wuhan Tianwen Biotechnology Company at a price of 800,000 yuan, authorizing the company to carry out cotton genetic transformation and gene editing commercial services
.
Lin Nuosi, General Manager of Tianwen Company, Yao Jianglin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of our school, Zhou Xiong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Plant Science and Technology, Zhu Longfu, Dean, Zhang Xianlong, Head of the Cotton Genetic Improvement Team, and Jin Shuangxia and other teachers and students attended the signing ceremony
.

Transfer Meeting

Jin Shuangxia System introduces the research and development background
of these two patents.
The first patent transferred this time is "A Method and Application for Improving Cotton Regeneration and Conversion Efficiency", the core innovation of this patent is the establishment of "a continuous regeneration domestication strategy" (SRA) to improve the conversion efficiency
of cotton.
Through this SRA strategy, Jin668
, a cotton acceptor material with strong regenerative ability, was obtained.
At the same time, in order to analyze the molecular mechanism behind the SRA strategy, a single-base resolution DNA methylation map on the whole genome was drawn, and the results showed that low (de)methylation in the process of SRA helps the activation of genes related to somatic embryogenesis, thereby improving plant regenerative ability, which is one of
the important reasons why the SRA strategy works.
For the comparative analysis of the renewable genotypes currently used, Jin668 is the recipient material
with the highest regeneration and conversion efficiency in cotton.
The genetic transformation system established with Jin668 as the receptor can obtain a large number of transgenic T0 generation seedlings in only 6-8 months, which is 5-6 months shorter than the international general transformation system, the transformation and regeneration efficiency is increased by 5-6 times, and the sterility rate of regenerated plants is less than 20%.

The second patent, "Accurate and Efficient Editing Method for the Genome of Land Cotton", is the first precision editing system (single base editor)
for cotton established by the cotton team based on the genomic characteristics of cotton and the expression characteristics of foreign genes (nucleases) through technical means such as endogenous strong promoter cloning and nuclease coding sequence optimization in cotton.
The editing efficiency of the system for single bases is as high as 60%, and the accuracy is extremely high, and no off-target detection has been detected using whole genome resequencing and sequencing detection of off-target
sites predicted by software.
Using the core elements of this system (dCas9, etc.
), a series of derivative systems have also been built, providing powerful tools
for accurate editing of cotton.

The general manager of Linnos of Tianwen Company introduced the market development of these two patents
.
She believes that among the company's many businesses, the genetic transformation and gene editing of cotton are a very competitive sector, which is inseparable from the strong technical support of the cotton team
.
Since the establishment of the company in 2016, Jin668 has been used as the transformation receptor every year to provide genetic transformation and gene editing services for hundreds of genes for more than 40 major cotton scientific research institutions in China, with a market potential of 4 million to 5 million, and customers have reported that the overall effect is very good
.
The implementation of the above two patented technologies provides efficient gene function research and molecular breeding technical means for the majority of cotton researchers in China, greatly improves the research level of cotton biotechnology in China, and also expands a strong market space
for the company's business development.

Zhang Xianlong reviewed the history of
cotton cell culture and genetic transformation in China.
He said that the cell regeneration and transformation system of cotton was first established by the American scientific research team in the mid-80s of the last century, and then Chen Zhixian of Shanxi Yuncheng Cotton Institute learned relevant technologies in the United States and introduced them to China, the cotton team of Huazhong Agricultural University is one of the earliest in China to learn with Chen Zhixian and began to independently start cotton cell culture related research, before and after more than 20 doctors, masters invested in cotton cell engineering, the construction of genetic transformation system, through the regulation of medium nutrients (inorganic salt components, Ratio, special amino acid addition, etc.
), the deployment of different hormone combinations, the use of a variety of reporter genes, large-scale genotype screening, continuous regeneration domestication and many other strategies have built today's cotton efficient cell culture and genetic transformation system, completely changing the situation
that several regenerated seedlings can only be obtained in the early 2 years of work.
Therefore, the results of these two patents are the sweat and wisdom of the cotton team for 30 years and the common efforts of three generations of scientific researchers
.

On behalf of the school, Yao Jianglin congratulated the cotton team on the new achievements, and fully affirmed and appreciated
Tianwen's efforts to promote the scientific and technological achievements of our school to the market and serve the cotton scientific research of the whole country.
It is also hoped that Tianwen can carry out in-depth cooperation with the school in the future, boldly innovate, and bring more scientific research products to the market
.
He wished that Tianwen Company could strive to pursue Qu Yuan's Tianwen spirit of "exploring nature and pursuing truth", become bigger and stronger, and become an industry leader as soon as possible
.

It is understood that Wuhan Tianwen Biology was initiated and established by a number of agricultural scientists in 2016, the company is located in Wuhan Biotechnology Research Institute of Optics Valley Biocity, with international leading standards of molecular biology laboratory, GMP aseptic operation room, intelligent temperature control growth room, etc.
, covering an area of 1000 square meters, the company has obtained "high-tech enterprise" certification, "3551 Optics Valley Talent Program" funding, "crop biological genes and genetic transformation technology development services" quality management system certification
.

Reviewed by Zhang Xianlong