Genetic Enhancement of Sorghum for Sustained Nutritional Yield

Sorghum, the fifth most important cereal crop worldwide, is a nutrient-dense, gluten-free C4 crop with low input requirements and high resilience to hot and dry climates. It is also a rich source of bioactive compounds that can prevent chronic diseases and promote human health. The development of robust and resilient varieties of sorghum that can deliver sustained nutritional yields requires a multi-pronged approach by integrating traditional breeding with advanced biotechnological tools.

Our ongoing research has successfully generated small RNA and RNA-seq datasets spanning critical stages of anther and seed development of sorghum. Functional characterization of the candidate genes and regulatory regions shortlisted from these studies is underway. The long-term objectives of these studies are 1. To generate male sterile lines for hybrid breeding programs and 2. leverage existing genetic and phenotypic diversity in sorghum to enhance seed size and nutritional quality using genome editing approaches. Since technical challenges in the regeneration and transformation of sorghum are a major barrier in advancing sorghum research, we are also putting extensive effort into optimizing reliable Agrobacterium-mediated transient and stable transformation of sorghum. I will be sharing the current standing of our work during the presentation.