Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal announced today, on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation that through the International Strategic Opportunities Program (ISOP) the Ministry will provide $96,500 to support the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster in facilitating a partnership between two world-class plant scientists over the next two years.
The project brings together Trent University’s Dr. Neil Emery, Director of Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program and from Japan’s Riken Institute, Dr. Hitoshi Sakakibara, Group Director, Riken Plant Science Center. This project will allow for collaboration between these two leading plant scientists to study the role of cytokinins across plant species. The goal of this research is to investigate ways to enhance legume and rice crop yields.
This project consists of a variety of activities to encourage international partnering, including four workshops, two at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, and two at the Riken Institute in Japan. These workshops will be multi-day sessions designed to facilitate the sharing of research information, ensure deadlines are established and met and that the workplans are followed.
In 2010 a final International Conference will be held in Peterborough, Ontario, bringing international researchers in plant science to the region to share best practices and various projects, as well as present the publications resulting from this international partnership.
"This funding will allow Trent University to create a partnership with the Riken Plant Science Centre to further the study of plant sciences. This work is important to the development of future food sources and the sustainability of plant life. I am proud that with the assistance of the Provincial Government this community has the opportunity to play a role in this important work." said MPP Jeff Leal.
“The Innovation Cluster is pleased to have assisted with forming this international partnership. The board and staff at the Innovation Cluster look forward to facilitating the project moving forward and seeing what opportunities will come out of this innovative research,” remarked Bill Lockington, Board Chair, Innovation Cluster.
“Professor Emery’s research is seen to be a critical part of the global solution to end widespread famine in developing countries,” explained Trent University President Bonnie M. Patterson. “The partnership with the Innovation Cluster and the Ministry of Research and Innovation is another example of how Trent’s research intensity is aligned with important policy issues and is contributing to a greater understanding of how we can address world hunger through increased yields.”
The Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster is a not-for-profit corporation with a mission to facilitate and advance environmental, life sciences, DNA and other innovative research in the Peterborough region. Its primary goal is to help promote and sustain a strong local knowledge-based economy.
RESEARCHER PROFILES
Dr. Neil Emery, Trent University
Opportunity
- Global population growth, increased meat consumption and environmental degradation will make grain legumes (the bean family) an ideal alternative protein source in the next 30 years. Legumes have great potential for yield gains.
- Cytokinins (a family of about 30 different plant hormones) can prevent pod and seed abortion and strongly promote seed embryo growth, which normally limits crop yields.
- Study of the genes and proteins for these hormones and their manipulation will help exploit them, by moving legumes from the weak to strong cytokinin profile for yield improvement.
Goal
Neil Emery works to determine factors that regulate the synthesis of relative quantities of different forms of cytokinins. This is with a view to increasing more active types of cytokinins, either through selection or biochemical manipulation. This effort is focused particularly in species of legumes and alternative cereals.
Dr. Hitoshi Sakakibara, RIKEN Institute
Opportunity
- The world will face a food crisis as a result of the population explosion and other factors in the near future. To increase crop yields is a major issue in plant sciences.
- At the Biodynamics Research Team in the Plant Productivity Systems Research Group at the RIKEN Plant Science Center, investigations have shown that cytokinins, plant hormones that activate cell division, are strongly associated with rice yields.
Goal
Team leader Hitoshi Sakakibara, who leads the world in cytokinin research, is working to control the biosynthesis and activation of cytokinin with the aim of increasing the yields of rice, wheat, corn, and other crops.
Collaborative Research
The Emery and Sakakibara labs have mutual goals of improving crop productivity and their strengths will be brought together for the first time as a result of the ISOP funding. The Sakakibara lab specializes in genetic control of cytokinin production and metabolism. Through genetic modification, their discoveries of genes that control cytokinin dynamics in plants will continue to confer major breakthroughs in our manipulation of yields.
The Emery lab, with its access to cutting edge facilities in the DNA building and the Worsfold Water Quality Centre, has developed a unique method for analyzing all known cytokinin forms by mass spectrometry. This will be used to understand the effects on cytokinins caused by the genetic manipulations made by the Sakakibara lab. Furthermore, through the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the Emery lab will assess the effect of these cytokinin manipulations on the entire suite of organic compounds that are normally present in a growing seed. The outcome will be the ability to determine which cytokinin genes and/or cytokinin target compounds will be critical for the control of crop productivity. For more information visit www.innovationcluster.ca
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For more information please contact Jaimi Ruoho-Long, Communications Officer, Innovation Cluster at (705) 743-0777 ext. 2130 or jruoho@gpaedc.on.ca or Brittany Cadence, Communications Officer, Trent University at (705) 748-1011 ext. 6185 or brittanycadence@trentu.ca