Norwich Research Park is a business community located to the southwest of Norwich, Norfolk, in East Anglia, England close to the A11 and the A47 roads.Set in over 230 hectares of parkland, Norwich Research Park is home to over 12,000 people, including 3,000 researchers and clinicians with an annual research spend of over £130 million.Norwich Research Park is a partnership between the University of East Anglia, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, four independent world-renowned research institutes, namely the John Innes Centre, the Quadram Institute and the Earlham Institute, (all strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council BBSRC) and The Sainsbury Laboratory linked to the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.The focus of the Norwich Research Park is on creating and supporting new companies and jobs based on bioscience, in 2011 the Government awarded BBSRC £26 million to invest in Norwich Research Park.
Diatoms produce 20% of the world's fixed organic carbon yet remain underutilized as cell factories due to limited genetic engineering tools. Here, we present optimized electroporation and polyethylene glycol (PEG) transformation methods for the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, enabling delivery of DNA and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes with high efficiency. Transformants are recovered with as little as 1 ng of DNA, and linear or circular episomes as large as 55.6 kb are successfully introduced. The optimized electroporation protocol also reveals an unexpected capability: episomes can be assembled directly in the algal cell through non-homologous or homology-driven repair mechanisms, a process we term diatom in vivo assembly (DIVA). In addition, the PEG approach is adapted to successfully transform Thalassiosira pseudonana, demonstrating the applicability of our methods for engineering other diatom species. These tools could be used to accelerate diatom synthetic biology projects and, therefore, the development of sustainable technologies.
Diploid potato breeding enables faster genetic improvement via selection against deleterious alleles in inbred lines, unlike breeding by intercrossing tetraploid varieties. Starch is the major source of calories in potato tubers, but the starch properties of diploid lines have rarely been reported. In this study, we provide a comprehensive characterisation of tuber and starch properties in two diploid lines that are early isolates from the Solynta breeding program, B26 and B100, and their F1 hybrids. B100 produced fewer, but larger tubers compared to B26, and both diploid lines produced tubers that are smaller than the tetraploid variety, Clearwater Russet. The low tuber yield of B100 correlates with its high self-compatibility and fruit production. Pruning of fruits in B100 significantly increased total tuber yield per plant by stimulating more tuber initiations, but had no effect on average tuber weight, starch content or starch structure. Among the diploid, hybrid and tetraploid lines examined, there were no differences in the total starch content of tubers. Although amylopectin structure and amylose content were similar between the two diploid lines and the tetraploid comparison, B26 had elevated levels of resistant starch and a striking elongated granule morphology. Our results showcase the variation in source-sink relations and starch structure in diploid potato breeding material, demonstrating their potential for research into the genetics underpinning metabolic and quality traits.
Abstract How can expression of a specific gene be quantitatively regulated? In this review, we discuss two possible modalities. In one, the level of mRNA generated from each gene copy can be smoothly varied giving graded analogue control. In a second, some gene copies generate high mRNA levels whilst others generate very low levels, giving ON/OFF digital control, with the fraction of copies with high or low expression being regulated. We focus on why in different contexts one modality would be preferred over the other, how these two modalities can be generated through transcriptional regulation, and discuss whether ON/OFF control is particularly linked to epigenetic memory. We argue that digital control arises for memory mediated by trans-factor feedback loops and histone modifications, but not necessarily for DNA methylation. We also examine how these expression modes can be established at one specific target, Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Graded expression and switching to ON/OFF control occur during early development and during long-term cold exposure and both are key to FLC regulation.
Fusarium spp. and Gaeumannomyces tritici are fungal root pathogens that cause major yield losses in cereal crops. Management strategies include fungicides, croprotation, and genetic resistance crop applications, but these pathogens continually evolve. Brachypodium distachyon (Bd) acts as a valuable model for temperate cereal crops and is useful for studying root-pathogen interactions. The BrachyTAG program is used in this study to disrupt individual genes in the Bd21 accessions using T-DNA mutagenesis, and the sensitivity of the selected lines were tested to the Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) and the root necrosis was monitored during germination. The results showed that disruption of BdAA (annotated accessions 398, 441, and 319) led to distinct resistance to G. tritici and F. culmorum infections and a bZIP transcription factor-encoding gene potentially confers broad-spectrum resistance. These pathogen-specific and general defence genes can be used for breeding and gene editing to enhance cereal crop resilience against root diseases.
Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) and the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are critical global health challenges, necessitating innovative solutions to combat pathogenic bacteria. Traditional approaches, such as antibiotics and chemical disinfectants, are increasingly ineffective due to the rapid evolution of resistant strains and their associated side effects and environmental impacts. The development of antimicrobial physical surface design strategies presents a promising alternative for reducing microbial colonisation and transmission. This review provides a comprehensive examination of antimicrobial surface geometries and topographies, focusing on physical surface strategies that prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Inspired by naturally occurring structures such as insect wings and lotus leaves, these engineered surfaces employ nano- and micro-scale patterning to exert mechanical forces that disrupt microbial cells through membrane rupture or inhibit their attachment by limiting surface area for successful adhesion. We discuss key fabrication methods, mechanisms of action, material considerations, and clinical relevance, while also addressing challenges such as scalability, durability, and regulatory issues. By highlighting both the potential and limitations of physical surface modifications in healthcare environments, this review aims to inform future research and promote the integration of surface-based strategies in the design of next-generation medical devices and high-touch clinical surfaces.
