Billions of people who rely on wheat as a staple food get too little iron and zinc from their diet. Wheat grains naturally contain low levels of these micronutrients, and the genetic mechanisms that control their transport from the parent plant into the seed remain poorly understood. This project will map the activity of genes inside different regions of a developing wheat grain, focusing on the junction where maternal tissue meets the seed. By identifying which genes are switched on in specific cell types during grain filling, the researcher aims to pinpoint the transporters that move iron and zinc into the grain. The work will produce an electronic atlas of gene expression and a network map of how these transport processes are regulated over time. This is fundamental science—it does not immediately produce a fortified wheat variety. But understanding the genetic machinery behind micronutrient accumulation is a necessary step before breeders or biotechnologists can reliably boost iron and zinc levels in the grain. If successful, the research could eventually help reduce micronutrient deficiencies in the billions of people who depend on wheat, without requiring costly post-harvest fortification.
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Wheat grain has low levels of iron and zinc which contributes to micronutrient deficiencies in the billions of people who rely on wheat as a staple food. Biofortification has the potential to enhance micronutrient content in the human diet without the sustainability concerns and additional costs associated with conventional fortification during processing. The accumulation of micronutrients in the wheat grain is dependent on genetically regulated processes, but the mechanisms underlying the transport of micronutrients from the parent to the seed have not been extensively studied. By understanding these processes, the Borrill lab seeks to enhance micronutrient content in wheat grains. In this proposed research, I will conduct a spatial transcriptomic analysis of wheat grain filling, aiming to delineate the transcriptional profiles within specific spatial domains during the grain filling stage and identify key genes encoding micronutrient transporters. I will investigate the specific gene expression patterns within distinct cell subgroups at the maternal-filial junction and construct an electronic in situ expression atlas and generate spatiotemporal regulatory network maps. This project will enhance our understanding of wheat endosperm cell functionality and identify heterogeneity within tissues of wheat grains. Moreover, it will elucidate the mechanisms through which the maternal-filial tissues communicate and exchange nutrients and micronutrients, further expanding our knowledge in this area.
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