Dr Marco Catoni

Exploiting silenced genes to improve wheat breeding

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Graeme Kettles

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes: Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)

Project Outline

Changes in DNA molecular modifications (also known as epigenetic marks) generated can produced novel stable phenotypes without altering the DNA sequence itself. In crop science, such epigenetic variation offers a promising and largely untapped resource for developing more productive crop varieties, serving as an alternative or complement to traditional breeding and genetic engineering approaches.

Wheat is the most widely cultivated crop globally and serves as a staple food source for over 2.5 billion people. Despite intensive breeding efforts, current strategies largely rely on existing natural genetic variation. In contrast, the potential of epigenetic variability in wheat remains underexplored.

This project aims to develop a novel tool to screen for environmental or experimental conditions that increase epigenetic variation in wheat. Specifically, we will generate a wheat lines able to generate epigenetic variation using a combination of reporter gene and mutation in epigenetic factors. In this system, we will be able to identify conditions that promote stable epigenetic alterations.

These approaches were initially established in the model Arabidopsis thaliana and has since been successfully applied in other plant species, contributing to the discovery of new epigenetic regulators and the characterization of epialleles. By adapting this system for wheat, we will directly investigate how epigenetic changes influence phenotypic traits in one of the world’s most critical food crops.

Harnessing epigenetic variability introduces a new dimension of phenotypic diversity that can support traditional breeding efforts. Ultimately, this strategy could enhance wheat productivity and resilience, contributing to global food security and the development of more sustainable agricultural practices in the face of climate change and a growing population.