CLONING OF HYBRID CELERY USING BIOREACTOR TECHNOLOGY

THIS PROPOSAL DESCRIBES RESEARCH ON BIOREACTOR SCALE UP OF PLANT CELL CULTURE DIRECTED TOWARD PLANT PROPAGATION. IN PHASE I RESEARCH, WE PROPOSE TO CLONE A BREEDER'S CROSS HYBRID OF CELERY IN A 1 TO 4 LITER BIOREACTOR. USING THIS SYSTEM, WE PROPOSE TO IDENTIFY THE IMPORTANCE OF AGITATION, AERATION, AND TIME IN LIQUID CULTURE ON THE YIELD AND PERFORMANCE OF DEVELOPING CELERY SOMATIC EMBRYOS. WE FURTHER PROPOSE TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF SINGULATION AND SYNCHRONIZATION OF EMBRYOS RESULTING FROM REGENERATION IN THE BIOREACTOR. A METHOD FOR SEPARATING EMBRYOS FROM DEBRIS AND IMMATURE EMBRYOS WILL BE DETERMINED. FINALLY, SEVERAL HUNDRED SOMATIC EMBRYOS WILL BE REGENERATED AND TRANSPLANTED TO THE FIELD. DURING PHASE II RESEARCH, WE PROPOSE TO COMPLETE THE FIELD EVALUATION OF PLANT VARIATION AS WELL AS CONTINUE BIOREACTOR STUDIES. LETTUCE SOMATIC ORGANOGENESIS WILL ALSO BE STUDIED IN A BIOREACTOR BY TESTING METHODS DEVELOPED FOR CELERY DURING LETTUCE BUD REGENERATION.