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AL 15 - Molecular plant-pathogen interaction Laboratory Description​ - PlantStress Biotech INCT In this INCT, Embrapa Soybean’s Plant Biotechnology Laboratory will act in the prospecting of genes involved in parasitism in nematodes, validation of identified genes via transient expression assays (compound soybean plants) and/or virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), as well as resistance genes and defense mechanisms in soybean. Finally, it will assist in the molecular characterization of transformed soybean plants containing genes previously validated in model plants by AL 02 and AL 08, aiming at the identification of elite events, useful in the Genetic Improvement Program. We hope that the activities conducted at this research institute can contribute to the development of technologies for the sustainability of the soybean production chain, including genotypes adapted to different edaphoclimatic conditions and stresses that affect the crop. Research Lines Genetic and associative mapping of resistance genes to gall nematodes in soybean. Prediction and functional characterization of genes involved in nematode parasitism. Validate the function of plant genes potentially involved in resistance to nematodes via strategies of overexpression or silencing. Validate the function of nematode genes potentially involved in the parasitism mechanisms, via gene silencing strategies (RNAi) in model systems. Our Team ​ Francismar C. Marcelino Guimarães Team Leader Francismar Correa Marcelino is a biologist graduated from the Federal University of Viçosa (2000), where he also took a master's and doctorate course in Genetics and Breeding (2006). She did her Postdoctoral (2011) in Molecular Plant Pathology at Iowa State University (US). She is a researcher at Embrapa Soja, working in the Molecular Genetics of Plants area, focusing on plant-pathogen molecular interaction, in the lines of transcriptomy research in response to infection by phytopathogens (P. pachyrhizi and nematodes), effector characterization and functional genomics in soybean. It also acts in the identification and validation of SNPs markers via genetic re-sequencing strategies for application in assisted selection for the development of soybean cultivars. She is a professor and advisor at the State University of Londrina in the postgraduate course in Biotechnology and Genetics, and in Bioinformatics at UFTPR. She has experience in the fields of Plant Molecular Genetics, Plant-Pathogen Molecular Interaction, Biochemistry and Biotechnology. She has supervised/co-supervised several students with scientific initiation, doctorate and postdoctoral degrees in the different lines of research she works with. Carlos Arrabal Arias Graduated in Agronomic Engineering (1988) and Master in Genetics and Breeding (1991) from the State University of Londrina and PhD in Agronomy (Genetics and Plant Breeding) from the Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture (1995). He is currently a researcher for the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, at the National Agricultural Research Center-Embrapa Soybean. He is also a collaborating professor in the postgraduate course in Genetics and Molecular Biology at the State University of Londrina. He is currently a member of the Internal Technical Committee and the Internal Biosafety Committee of Embrapa Soja. Currently he is also the Leader of the National Soybean Improvement Project at Embrapa Soja, working mainly on the following themes: soybean cultivars, adaptability and stability, and genetic resistance to insect pests and diseases such as Asian rust. Ricardo Vilela Abdelnoor Researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) since 1994, working in the field of Molecular Genetics and Soy Genomics. Graduated in Agronomy from the Federal University of Viçosa and doctorate in Agronomy (Genetics and Breeding) from the University of Nebraska, United States, in 2004. He currently participates in several research projects and led the multi-institutional projects "Technological Platform for Integrated Management of the Asian Rust of Soybean "(FINEP) and" GENOSOJA - National Consortium for Studies of the Soybean Genome "(CNPq), in addition to leading projects of Embrapa Macroprogram 2. He is currently an accredited Professor of the Genetics and Molecular Biology program at the State University of Londrina (UEL), having supervised and co-supervised master and doctoral students at the said university. He also serves as co-advisor at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), UNESP-Jaboticabal and State University of Maringá (UEM). He coordinated PROCISUR's "Functional Genomics" Platform for five years, and currently serves as a member of the International Soybean Genome Consortium and served as an elected member of the Soybean Genetics Committee (2009-2012). In 2009 he was elected to the "Continuing Committee" of the World Soybean Research Conference (World Soybean Research Conference) for the period 2009-2020, and in 2013 he was chosen as President of the "Continuing Committee", for the period 2013 -2020. He was President of the Organizing Committee of the VI Brazilian Soybean Congress (CBSoja 2012). He was a member of the National Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBIO) from 2012 to 2014. In the management area, he was Executive Secretary of the Internal Technical Committee (CTI) of Embrapa Soybean, from 2010 to 2013 and since 2013 he is the Deputy Head of Research & Development Embrapa Soybean. Since 2013 he is a member of the Sectorial Chamber of the Soybean Productive Chain, linked to the Ministry of Agriculture. Mauricio Conrado Meyer Graduate in Agronomy at State University of Ponta Grossa (1987), MSc in Phytopathology at University of Brasilia (1990) and PhD in Plant Protection at Sao Paulo State University Julio de Mesquita Filho (2001). Senior researcher at Embrapa Soybean (since 1989). Has experience in plant pathology, focusing on management of soybean diseases and breeding soybean cultivars for disease resistance. Contact Francismar C. Marcelino Guimarães EMBRAPA Soybean Campus Carlos João Strass Road (Orlando Amaral Access) - P.O. Box 231 - Postal Code 86001-970 - Londrina, PR - Brazil E-mail: francismar.marcelino@embrapa.br Phone:+55 43 3371-6000

< Back Science uses genetics against plant parasites Ciência usa genética contra parasitas de plantas Estratégia é estudada por bolsista do Programa CAPES-Cofecub que recebeu o Prêmio de Melhor Pôster na área de manejo de nematoides na agricultura no Seventh International Congress of Nematology. Valdeir Junio Vaz Moreira pode ter encontrado um novo caminho para combater pragas parasitas, chamadas nematoides, em plantas como algodão e soja. Bioquímico e aluno do Programa de Biologia Molecular da Universidade de Brasília (UnB), ele desenvolve sua pesquisa em um doutorado-sanduíche no Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRAe), na França, com bolsa do Programa CAPES-Cofecub . Sua estratégia tem sido aplicar a engenharia genética, com ênfase na tecnologia do RNAi. Os experimentos estão sendo desenvolvidos na UnB, na Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia e INRAe, sob a supervisão da professora Maria Fátima Grossi de Sá (Embrapa), com cosupervisão de Janice de Almeida Engler (INRAe). “Utilizamos a tecnologia do RNA de interferência para o silenciamento do gene Minc03328 e outros candidatos deste patógeno e verificamos grandes níveis de resistência em planta-modelo”, comemora. Ele acredita que, muito em breve, essa estratégia possa ser usada na cultura de soja e algodão geneticamente modificados. Os resultados de suas pesquisas são promissores e os dados podem ser consultados na revista PLANTA, Volume 255, edição 2, ou pelo link https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-022-03823-4 . Com suas pesquisas, Valdeir Moreira conquistou o 1º lugar em dois concursos: no Talento Estudantil na Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, e no 10° Simpósio de Biologia Molecular pela Universidade de Brasília, além de ser agraciado com o Prêmio de Melhor Pôster na área de manejo de nematoides na agricultura no Seventh International Congress of Nematology (ICN2022) . Programa CAPES-COFECUB Parceria com o Comitê Francês de Avaliação da Cooperação Universitária com o Brasil (Cofecub), o programa seleciona projetos conjuntos de pesquisa para incentivar o intercâmbio entre instituições de ensino superior e institutos ou centros de pesquisa e desenvolvimento públicos dos dois países. Legenda das imagens: Banner e imagem 1: Valdeir Junio Vaz Moreira é estudante de doutorado do Programa de Biologia Molecular da Universidade de Brasília - UnB (Foto: Arquivo pessoal) Imagem 2: Pesquisador foi agraciado com o Prêmio de Melhor Pôster na área de manejo de nematoides na agricultura no Seventh International Congress of Nematology - ICN2022 (Foto: Arquivo pessoal) A Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) é um órgão vinculado ao Ministério da Educação (MEC). (Brasília – Redação CCS/CAPES) A reprodução das notícias é autorizada desde que contenha a assinatura CCS/CAPES Source: CAPES

< Back INCT PlantStress Biotech Workshop 2023 IV INCT PlantStress Workshop - 2023 On July 10th and 11th, the IV PlantStress Biotech INCT Workshop took place at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Brasília, DF. This annual workshop is held for the presentation and discussion of research results carried out by INCT PlantStress. The research groups involved initially worked prospecting molecules (bioprospecting stage). Then, these same molecules went on to validate their activities, a step that was performed in silico, through the evaluation of data: from genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes; by differential expression determination experiments (RT-qPCR); in vivo, by evaluating the phenotypic effects of gene silencing mediated by interfering RNA (RNAi) in insects, for example; and/or in planta, through functional complementation in a model plant or in ex-vitro explants, such as in hairy-roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes . The best prospected biotechnological actives were transferred to elite cultivars of plants of agronomic interest (cotton, soy, corn and rice), using transgenic approaches (overexpression of resistance genes and/or dsRNA molecules) and non-transgenic (topical use of molecules via nanoparticles or knockout of susceptibility genes via genome editing mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology). This last step is an important step both for proof of concept and for the development of biotechnological products. It is worth noting that the pipeline of activities carried out by the INCT PlantStress Biotech is continuous flow, that is, new molecules are being bioprospected at all times, as well as these new molecules are being validated and selected for use in proof of concept at all times. in target plants. In 2023, the workshop was attended by those responsible for the associated laboratories, scholarship holders and researchers from the work development team.

< Back INCT PlantStress Biotech’s Participation in the International Congress of Nematology (ICN) in Antibes Juan-Les-Pins, France Professor Robert Miller (UnB), a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech , participated in the 7th International Congress of Nematology (ICN) in Antibes Juan-Les-Pins, France, between the 1st and 6th of May 2022. As an invited speaker in the omics session, he delivered a lecture entitled “Analysis of the banana root transcriptome in response to root-knot nematode infection and water deficit” with focus on results generated in the INCT project. Drought and nematodes are constraints to global agriculture that can occur simultaneously. Banana ( Musa spp.), whilst among the world’s most widely consumed fruits, is susceptible to both drought stress as well as infection by the endoparasitic root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita . Data from a transcriptome analysis of the responses to RKN, drought and combined stresses in a drought resistant Musa acuminata genotype from the Embrapa breeding program was presented. The ICN conference provided a forum for presentation and discussion on the state of the art of nematology, with the participation of scientists from more than 55 countries worldwide - https://www.alphavisa.com/icn/2020/index.php .

< Back Biotechnology generates alternatives to climate change Using genetic engineering, a biotechnologist develops drought-tolerant soybean plants and receives awards. Climate change has proven to be one of the greatest threats to agricultural sustainability and productivity worldwide, and soybean cultivation is no exception. Increasing global average temperatures, occurrences of extreme weather events, and water stress have significantly affected this economically and nutritionally valuable crop. To mitigate the effects of water stress on soybean cultivation, efforts include the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, particularly the use of biotechnology to generate genetic variability and offer more resilient plants to these effects. And it is in this context that biotechnologist Luanna Pinheiro de Albuquerque Freitas Bezerra - a Ph.D. student in the Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology at the Catholic University of Brasília (UCB) - has been developing her thesis under the guidance of Dr. Maria Fátima Grossi-de-Sá at Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology / CENARGEN. According to Luanna, "the study provides innovative strategies and a biotechnological solution for the development of superior soybean cultivars, thus mitigating the negative effects on productivity generated by drought stress." Using precision genetic engineering, Luanna aims to suppress the death of soybean plant cells when they are in a drought situation. The project has two strategies. In the first strategy, a system was developed for the overexpression of the GmBiP gene via dCas9-VP64. The second strategy involves a non-transgenic alternative for the development of drought-tolerant soybean. For this purpose, the GmNAC030 gene was knocked out via CRISPR/Cas9. And the results obtained by Luanna have already earned her two awards. In 2022, the project came in second place at the XXVI Student Talent Meeting of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Post-graduate level. In 2023, presenting the results of your thesis, Luanna received an honorable mention at the VIII Brazilian Symposium on Molecular Genetics of Plants. The poster titled: "Precision genetic engineering for drought tolerance in soybeans and its effects on the programmed cell death pathway of the endoplasmic reticulum" was among the best among all the posters at the Symposium.

< Back Antonio Costa de Oliveira, researcher at INCT PlantStress Biotech, participated in international scientific events Professor Antonio Costa de Oliveira (UFPEL), a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech, attended the 4th BIOIBEROAMERICA conference in Monterrey, Mexico, from September 3 to 6, 2024. He delivered a keynote lecture titled Climate Change Ready Rice: Lessons from Abiotic Stresses . The meeting was organized by FIAMBIOT (Federación Iberoamericana de Biotecnología), which includes the Brazilian Society of Biotechnology (SBBIOTEC) as a member. The event attracted approximately 250 participants from various countries in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, fostering discussions on advancing biotechnology for a sustainable future. Following this, Professor Costa de Oliveira participated in the ISRFG2024 (International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics) in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, from September 9 to 11, 2024. He presented a talk and a poster on The Collection and Characterization of Wild Rice in Brazil . This symposium also focused on sustainability and strategies for feeding the growing population without compromising the planet's health.

< Back The 2023 Annual LIMPP Workshop: Focus on Student Engagement The LIMPP Workshop takes place annually and aims to train students and discuss results with them. The LIMPP Workshop , an annual event organized by the Laboratory of Molecular Plant-Pest Interactions of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (Embrapa Cenargen) , centered its 2023 edition on students engagement , emphasizing their training and active participation in the discussion of research outcomes . Held on November 17 th and 20 th, the LIMPP Workshop provided a platform for m aster’s and undergraduate students, and technical professionals to present the progress and outcomes of their projects conducted throughout 2023. This year's workshop was skilfully coordinated by Master's student Náttany Souza Costa and Undergraduate student Sara Rocha. Their leadership was complemented by the guidance of postdoctoral researcher Francisco Humberto Henrique and researcher Maria Fatima Grossi-de-Sa. As well as presenting the results, the workshop was designed to equip students with essential presentation skills, including slide preparation and the ability to respond to questions from both a review panel and the attending audience. A total of 12 engaging presentations took place over the two days of the event. Below are the photographs capturing moments from each presentation: The master's students Gabriele Louise Trindade Araújo and Náttany Souza Costa. The technical training André Campos Soares and Mateus Meira dos Santos presenting your results in the LIMPP Workshop. The master's students Naiara Cordeiro Santos and João Pedro Abreu Sousa.The technical training Mariana Hildebrand and Gustavo Ruffo presenting your results in the LIMPP Workshop. The master's students Julia Moura do Rosário Santana and Lays Antunes Teixeira. The technical training Raíre Cavalcante and undergraduate student Sara Rocha presenting your results in the LIMPP Workshop.

< Back INCT PlantStress Biotech: Disseminating Knowledge in Educational Institutions Dr. Ana Cristina Miranda Brasileiro from Embrapa – Cenargen, a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech, has transfered and disseminated knowledge and technological innovations generated by INCT PlantStress Biotech to society through her participation in science education programs for elementary and high school students from public and private schools in the Distrito Federal (DF) and by welcoming these students for visits to Embrapa. Some of these actions include lectures on the topic “Biotechnology and Transgenics in our daily lives” in the following public schools in the DF: Centro de Ensino Médio Elefante Branco (Cemeb); Centro de Ensino Fundamental No. 01 do Cruzeiro and Centro de Ensino Fundamental 04 – Planaltina, and also Colégio Pódium, a private high school. Other actions included her participation in lectures and visits to Embrapa-Cenargen by students from Escola Polivalente, a public high school within Embrapa’s “Programa Portas Abertas”. These knowledge-transference actions to society are an important component of the INCT PlantStress Biotech and aim to bring science and biotechnology to the general public, mainly elementary and high school students and teachers. The ultimate goal is to integrate science and technology into the everyday lives of the citizens, contributing to the formation through enhanced perception, awareness, and the demystification of scientific subjects.

< Back INCT PlantStress Biotech research highlighted at a student meeting The research carried out at the INCT PlantStress Biotech was highlighted during the XXVII Student Talent Meeting, held at Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia (Cenargen), in Brasília, between August 28 and 30. Sara Vitorino da Rocha Lemes and Bruna Medeiros Pereira received the award for best work in the Biotechnology category, at undergraduate and postgraduate level, respectively. Sara Rocha is an undergraduate student in Biotechnology at the University of Brasilia (UnB) and a Scientific Initiation scholarship holder under the PIBIC/CNPq/Embrapa program, supervised by the researchers Carolina Morgante and Fatima Grossi de Sá. In her work, “Genetically modified cotton plants with reduced susceptibility to root knot nematodes and drought”, Sara presented the combined strategy of overexpressing a drought tolerance gene and silencing a vital gene of the nematode Meloidogyne incognita , using RNA interference technology, to obtain plants that are less susceptible to these two stresses, simultaneously. Bruna Medeiros, who holds a master's degree in Agronomy from UnB and is a DTI-B/CNPq scholarship holder at Embrapa Cenargen, presented the work “A trans-species approach for in-root functional validation and selection of candidate genes for resistance to phytopathogens in legumes”. Supervised by the researchers Ana Brasileiro and Patrícia Guimarães, Bruna highlighted the promising results of a system for rapid functional validation of resistance genes in the roots of soybean, peanut, chickpea, common bean, cowpea, guandu, and alfalfa. More details on this research can be found in the recent publications in the journals PlosOne and Planta and in the patent filed by the team. Bruna Medeiros and Luanna Pinheiro receiving their awards from members of the organizing committee. At the same event, the students Nayara Sabrina de Freitas Alves, a doctoral student at the Federal University of Paraná, received an honorable mention for her work “Transcriptional and translational modulation via CRISPR-Cas for soybean tolerance root knot nematodes” and Luanna Pinheiro A. F. Bezerra, a doctoral student at the Catholic University of Brasília, for her work “Soybean plants tolerant to water deficit through modulation of the stress-induced programmed cell death control pathway using CRISPR/dCas9”. The two students are supervised by the researcher Fatima Grossi de Sá. The XXVII Student Talent Meeting had 150 registered participants, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and post-doctoral students. Its objectives were to publicize the work carried out at Embrapa Cenargen, in the thematic areas of Biotechnology, Biological Control, Quarantine and Genetic Resources, and to provide scientific incentives for young students and scholarship holders. Text: Carolina Morgante

< Back Advances in Research from UFRJ and Embrapa on Coffee Gene that Increases Drought Resistance in Soybeans and Cotton Drought is one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture worldwide, causing significant losses, particularly in key crops such as coffee, soybeans, and cotton. Despite coffee's substantial economic importance, our understanding of how the plant responds to water scarcity at the molecular level is still limited. Research conducted by the Molecular Genetics and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory at UFRJ, led by Professor Márcio Alves-Ferreira, in collaboration with the team from Embrapa Cenargen, coordinated by researcher M. Fatima Grossi de Sa, studied all the "homeobox" (HB) gene family members present in the genome of Coffea arabica . They discovered that three of these genes are activated when the plant experiences osmotic stress (such as drought). Among these, the gene CaHB12 stood out as it is significantly activated in the leaves and roots of coffee plants under moderate and severe drought conditions. To better understand the role of CaHB12 , the scientists introduced this gene into transgenic Arabidopsis plants (a model plant) and observed that these plants exhibited increased tolerance to drought and salt during germination. During the analyses, they noted that while some classic drought response genes showed decreased activity, other pathways, such as those related to heat shock proteins, were activated, which may explain the enhanced resistance of the plants. This study was supported by the INCT PlantStress Biotech and also involved collaborations with the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (Argentina) and Universität Bonn (Germany). Furthermore, the researchers tested the expression of CaHB12 in transgenic soybean and cotton plants, with results indicating increased drought tolerance. The findings of this study, recently published in the journal Environmental and Experimental Botany , suggest that CaHB12 is a positive regulator of the stress response in coffee plants and a promising candidate for biotechnological applications. A diagram provides a graphical summary of the results. Also, check out the dissemination conducted in the FAPERJ newsletter, as well as the original article in the scientific journal. FAPERJ Dissemination https://www.faperj.br/?id=648.7.8 Link to article in EEB https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0098847224003411

< Back INCT PlantStress Biotech’s Participation in the Crop Genomics for Global Food Security Workshop at PAG 2024 Professor Robert Miller (UnB), a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech, participated in the 31st Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG ) in San Diego, California, USA between 12-17 January 2024 . As an invited speaker at the Crop Genomics for Global Food Security Workshop, he delivered a lecture entitled “Functional Genomics Approaches to Promote Stress Resilience in Musa” with focus on results generated in the INCT project. The fungal pathogen Pseudocercospora musae is responsible for Sigatoka leaf spot disease, which results in considerable economic losses in bananas, especially in the important Cavendish subgroup. A transcriptome analysis of the early-stage immune responses to P. musae was investigated in resistant Musa acuminata Calcutta 4 leaf material. Data on the characterization of the microRNAs in the early-stage immune response was also presented. The PAG conference provides a forum for presentation and discussion on recent developments and future applications for plant and animal genome projects worldwide. The conference is typically attended by scientists from more than 65 countries worldwide.

News 15/10/2024 INCT PlantStress Biotech: Disseminating Knowledge in Educational Institutions Dr. Ana Cristina Miranda Brasileiro from Embrapa – Cenargen has shared knowledge and technological innovations from INCT PlantStress Biotech with society. She participates in science education programs for elementary and high school students in the Distrito Federal (DF). Read More 15/10/2024 Advances in Research from UFRJ and Embrapa on Coffee Gene that Increases Drought Resistance in Soybeans and Cotton The research was conducted by the Molecular Genetics and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory at UFRJ, led by Professor Márcio Alves-Ferreira, in collaboration with the team from Embrapa Cenargen, coordinated by researcher M. Fatima Grossi de Sa. Read More 15/10/2024 INCT PlantStress Biotech’s Participation in the International Congress of Nematology (ICN) in Antibes Juan-Les-Pins, France Professor Robert Miller (UnB), a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech, participated in the 7th International Congress of Nematology (ICN), between the 1st and 6th of May 2022. Read More 11/10/2024 INCT PlantStress Biotech’s Participation in the Crop Genomics for Global Food Security Workshop at PAG 2024 Professor Robert Miller (UnB), a member of the INCT PlantStress Biotech, participated in the 31st Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG) in San Diego, California, USA between 12-17 January 2024. Read More 25/09/2024 Coordinator of the INCT PlantStress Biotech participated in the RNAi Discussion Forum during the Brazilian Congress of Entomology Participation in the Forum 'RNAi: uma ferramenta poderosa no controle sustentável de pragas agrícolas' during the XXIX Brazilian Congress of Entomology (CBE) 2024, held in Uberlândia, MG, Brazil, from September 22 to 26, 2024. Read More 24/09/2024 Antonio Costa de Oliveira, researcher at INCT PlantStress Biotech, participated in international scientific events Participation of Antonio Costa de Oliveira in the scientific events: BIOIBEROAMERICA in Monterrey, Mexico, from September 3 to 6, 2024, and ISRFG2024 (International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics, 2024) in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA, from September 9 to 11, 2024. Read More