Main conclusion Expression of the Arabidopsis phytyl ester synthase PES2 in Nicotiana benthamiana chloroplasts resulted in the accumulation of fatty acid phytyl esters and wax diesters containing the novel alkanediol 1,6-hexadecanediol. Abstract Dihydric long-chain alcohols carrying two hydroxyl groups are low abundant in plants and are mostly found in the cutin layer of leaves or the suberin of roots. Transient expression of...

Main conclusion Gene editing of the patatin gene cluster using a single-guide RNA sequence consistently modifies over 10% of the targeted genes in modified individuals. Abstract Patatins have gained recent attention, as a group of highly nutritious proteins with excellent functional properties. Some techniques have been suggested for industrial-scale patatin purification, mostly as a by-product from potato starch processing. T...

Potato is an important part of the traditional Norwegian diet, and the crop faces several challenges with respect to pests and diseases, as well as the increasingly challenging changes in climate. Genome editing may provide tools to improve the resilience of Norwegian potato cultivars to new climate challenges. We have altered the skin colour of two potato cultivars, ‘Desirée’ and ‘Nansen’ from red to yellow, as a proof-of-con...

Key message We have established a DNA-free genome editing method via ribonucleoprotein-based CRISPR/Cas9 in cultivated tomato and obtained mutant plants regenerated from transfected protoplasts with a high mutation rate. Abstract The application of genome editing as a research and breeding method has provided many possibilities to improve traits in many crops in recent years. In cultivated tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), so f...

Synthetic pheromones have been used for pest control over several decades. The conventional synthesis of di-unsaturated pheromone compounds is usually complex and costly. Camelina ( Camelina sativa ) has emerged as an ideal, non-food biotech oilseed platform for production of oils with modified fatty acid compositions. We used Camelina as a plant factory to produce mono- and di-unsaturated C 12 chain length moth sex pheromone...

Pheromones are environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional pesticides for pest control. They are widely applied for insect monitoring, mating disruption and mass trapping. Nicotiana benthamiana and N. tabacum are potential green biomass production platforms of moth sex pheromones. Using these two Nicotiana species as plant factories, we expressed biosynthetic genes of plant and insect origin in leaf tissue. Moth sex p...