Julia Retzlaff (RWTH Aachen University)
Julia Retzlaff's Master thesis was awarded with the Prize for the Best Plant Science Master Thesis, which was carried out at RWTH Aachen University in the year 2024 with the title:
A synthetic biology approach to enhance wheat (Triticum aestivum) seed germination under low oxygen
Is wheat able to germinate despite flooding? Using innovative synthetic biology approaches, we have found a way to enhance wheat’s germination ability under low oxygen conditions.
As climate change increases the frequency and duration of flooding, agriculture faces new challenges. This creates an urgent need for resilient crops that can thrive even during critical phases, such as germination, under adverse conditions. To enhance wheat seed germination under low-oxygen conditions, two innovative synthetic biology approaches were developed: through targeted genetic modifications, we generated wheat lines capable of initiating germination under oxygen-deficient conditions.
We combined DNA sequences from the rice and wheat genome to engineer genetic circuits that activate under low-oxygen conditions, aiming to regulate developmental processes such as germination. We tested these DNA constructs through transient transformation in protoplasts and in stable transgenic lines. Our results indicate that this approach is a promising strategy to enhance cereal germination under submergence.
Our findings provide valuable insights into the genetic and biochemical mechanisms involved in germination under hypoxic conditions. Our work contributes to understanding fundamental mechanisms for developing climate-resilient wheat varieties and provides a basis for future breeding strategies aimed at making agriculture more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
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Julia Retzlaff conducted this work at the department of biology at university of oxford in the working group of Prof. Dr. Francesco Licausi.