Applied Plant Biotechnology

The Applied Plant Biotechnology group works with cereals to make them resistant to fungal diseases, tolerant to abiotic stress (non-living environmental factors) and to help them adapt to climate change. It also works on agri-food metabolomics and conducts computational studies on the interaction of DNA and other biomolecules with nanostructures and other chemical species. To achieve its objectives, it uses transgenesis and genome editing techniques, metabolome analysis and interactions between DNA and biomolecules. It also develops humanitarian aspects of plant biotechnology, such as the production of vaccines and microbicides in cereals. It participates in technology transfer and training both locally and in developing countries. Recently, it has begun to work on the political and regulatory aspects of plant biotechnology.

1. Metabolic pathway engineering.
2. Molecular pharmacy.
3. New agronomic traits.
4. Plant protection.
5. Applications of biotechnology to support developing countries.
6. Agri-food metabolomics.
7. Computational studies on the interaction of DNA and other biomolecules with nanostructures and other chemical species.

1. Creation of transgenic cereals with complex nutritional characteristics and added value.
2. Creation of genome-edited cereals protected against fungi.
3. Production of recombinant pharmaceutical products in rice and maize.
4. Development and application of analytical methods based on chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
5. Coupling calculations, molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, molecular mechanics and QM/MM in interactive chemical and biochemical systems.

World leader in multigene engineering of major cereal crops. World leader in the creation of multicomponent microbicides for infectious diseases. Influential position papers on genetic engineering and genome editing, white papers and policy papers on the regulation and socio-political impact of transgenic and genetically modified crops.