Increased Seed Oil by Metabolic Regulation

The biodiesel industry is growing rapidly in the U.S. and is expected to continue growing. Even if all oilseeds produced in the U.S. were used for biodiesel, the supply would still fall short of the nation¿s need. Moreover, as the biodiesel market increases, food prices are expected to increase, due to the efflux of seeds from the food oil industry into the expanded biofuel market. An increase in seed oil content is needed to increase crop productivity per acre, in order to better meet the biodiesel demand. This project will use a molecular approach to enhance seed oil content by inserting a novel gene to direct carbon flow into oil biosynthesis. In Phase I, technical feasibility will be established by by testing the approach in a model plant system, Arabidopsis. Phase II will involve moving the proven gene construct into the closely related crop plant, canola. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Oilseeds with higher oil content will increase oilseed crop productivity per acre and help establish a thriving biodiesel market. In addition to canola, the market would extend to other oilseed crops, such as soybean, cotton, and sunflower. The technology would be marketed to oilseed producers and agricultural biotech companies in the form of research and licensing agreements and/or royalty fees. Increased oilseed production would stimulate local and regional economies by increasing farming profit and creating new jobs.