b'A featured segment designed to share business-critical information to seed-selling professionals. Visit SeedWorld.com to download this department STRATEGY and other tools.Epigenetics: A New Plant Breeding TechnologyBringing epigenetics and computational sciences together.Joe Funk jfunk@issuesink.comNEW PLANTbreedingworks in the plant. Through technologies (NBTs) arethese discoveries, we are a group of techniques whichlearning how to harness that encompass a wide variety ofaspect of plant science and approaches, methodologieshow to take the next step to and unique characteristics toguide that to the faster intro-develop new varieties. Theyduction of plant traits.may either be used alone inTo introduce an epigenetic the breeding process or theytrait, Bayer and his team use may be used in combinationcomputational sciences to with other NBTs, conventionalprocess big data to detect a breeding approaches or withspecific target in the plants genetically modified (GM)DNA genome. Using a pro-technologies. NBTs usuallyprietary method, cytosine allow for the development ofmethylation is used to silence new varieties in a faster anda specific gene function. The more precise manner thanmodified plant is genetically conventional breeding tech- identical to the parent plant. niques. There are no DNA changes. Traditional wisdom teachesCurrent traits of interest that DNA is the foundationinclude drought tolerance, dis-of heredity. A single letterTravis Bayer serves as Sound Agricultures CTO and co-founder. ease resistance, yield increase change in this code can leador other agronomic factors to genetic changes. The nucle- The best-known epigeneticthat are using a life sciencelike fertility and nutrient use otide cytosine (the C in theprocess is DNA methylation.approach to discovery thatefficiency. genetic code) can be changedThis is the addition or removalcombines molecular biologyWe are enhancing the into a methylcytosine.of a methyl group (CH3),with modern computationalplants physiology, not adding This cytosine meth- predominantly where cytosinepower, resulting in an entirelynew pathways such as one ylation, which is one type ofbases occur consecutively.new understanding of plantthat would make a plant epigenetic mark, is typicallyAnother significant epigeneticand microbe interactions. glow in the dark, Bayer says. associated with repressionprocess is chromatin modifi- The concepts and knowl- The epigenetic pathway is a of gene activity, explainscation. Many other types ofedge of epigenetic have beennatural pathway with no large-Frank Johannes, assistantepigenetic processes haveknown in the plant sciencescale changes in plant biology professor at the Groningenbeen identified. Additionalworld for many years. Theor the way the plant works. Bioinformatics Centre. Inepigenetic mechanisms andfoundational science has beenWe are not introducing new mammals, epigenetic marksconsiderations are likely tothere. What we are learninggenes like they do with trans-are typically reset every gen- surface as work proceeds.now is how to harness thatgenics. What we are doing is eration, but in plants, no suchknowledge, says Travis Bayer,enhancing specific aspects of dramatic resetting takes place.Using Epigenetics Sound Agriculture CTO andthe plants physiology.This opens the door to epige- Sound Agriculture is one of aco-founder. In our group, weThere are some new netic inheritance in plants. group of emerging companiesare learning how epigeneticsdiscoveries for breeding that 48/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2020'