Targeted Homologous Recombination in Meiotic Plant Cells.Phase II

Rxoa Biosciences is developing a new technology known as Homologous Recombination (HR) which will give researchers the ability to precisely modify the genetic makeup of plants. Currently, this technique for modifying the genetic makeup of an organism has only been practical for bacterial, animal and yeast research. Plant researchers have used a very inefficient "shot-gun" approach to modifying the genes of plants. They have to produce and then screen hundreds if not thousands of plants in order to find the one plant with the intended modification. Rxoa's homologous recombination system will have a wide range of applications and be appropriate for high-throughput processes. Rxoa's HR system will for the first time, allow researchers to efficiently and predictably, modify plants. As a fundamental technology for plant research and genetic modification, targeted gene modification can play a major role in many areas of plant science and agriculture. It can be used to introduce new and valuable traits into crops, thereby reducing production costs and increasing value to both producers and consumers. It can be used to modify enzymes to increase the nutritional component of crops or reduce harmful components. It can be used to alter the expression pattern of whole pathways by altering promoters of key regulators. It is a powerful technology with applicability limited only by the endogenous genetic component of a plant and by the imagination of the researcher.