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Professors Xumei Chen and Meng Chen at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have shown the miRNA156’s role in plant growth and productivity. As shown in Figure 1, miRNA156 acts in pathways involved with plant hormones such as auxin and brassinosteroids responsible for plant growth. Exogenous application of miRNA156 potentially in combination with exogenous auxins can be useful in a variety of horticultural contexts for their ability to increase auxin sensitivity and plant growth.    

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The Uhrich lab at the University of California, Riverside has developed a novel hydrogel, called salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride ester) or SAPAE,  for agricultural applications.  This hydrogel is comprised of bioactive, biocompatible polymers derived from salicylic acid that biodegrade into salicylic acid, which is a natural plant growth hormone. The hydrogel can cross-link itself or in combination with natural polymers forming three-dimensional networks capable of absorbing fertilizer, pesticides, and large amounts of water.  In addition to enhancing plant growth, salicylic acid alleviates drought stress.  The UCR hydrogel may be applied to soil so it not only releases salicylic acid but also water to counter drought. Fig 1: Illustration of SAPAE-based hydrogels that biodegrade into salicylic acid and also release encapsulated fertilizers and pesticides.

Professor Julia Bailey-Serres and colleagues from the University of California, Riverside have identified transcription factors involved in the synthesis and modulation of suberin in plants. These transcription factors can be gene-edited or otherwise engineered in rice or other monocot crops to alter suberin production – which can lead to development of new rice cultivars with enhanced tolerance to stresses ranging from increased soil salinity to drought to pest. Fig 1: Fluorol Yellow (FY) staining of rice crown roots for suberin in longitudinal views of the exodermis and radial cross sections under environmental conditions of well-watered (CON) or water deficit (WD).

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Prof. Juan Pablo Giraldo and his lab at the University of California, Riverside have developed a method for the targeted delivery of nanomaterials to the phloem such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers using carbon dots with a sucrose-functionalized nanoparticle surface (sucQDs). This technology is advantageous surface functionalization with sucrose enables faster and more efficient foliar delivery of nanoparticles into the plant phloem, a vascular tissue responsible for long-distance transport of sugars from sources (i.e., mature leaves) to sinks (i.e., roots). This technology is available for non-exclusive licensing. Fig 1: Representative images showing the high colocalization of sucQDs with the fluorescent dye that labels phloem cells (in blue). Scale bar = 30 μm

Prof. Sean Cutler and colleagues at the University of California, Riverside have engineered a system and methods to induce gene expression in plants and organisms, including mammals, using the chemical compound mandipropamid. Using the PYR/PYL/HAB1 promoter system, the PYR1/HAB1 system is reprogrammed to be activiated with mandipropamid.  When the PYR1/HAB1 system dimerizes through chemical induced dimerization (CID) with mandipropamid, the system functions as a control switch for gene expression. This technology has been demonstrated to advantageously accelerate citrus breeding.  It may be applied to improve CAR T-cell therapy and agricultural crops. Fig 1: UCR’s PYR1/HAB1 system is programmed through chemical induced dimerization (CID) initiated by mandipropamid to function as a switch for agrochemical control of gene expression.  

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