About OpenPlant
What is OpenPlant?
OpenPlant is a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge, John Innes Centre and the Earlham Institute, funded by the BBSRC and EPSRC as part of the UK Synthetic Biology for Growth programme.
We believe that there is a crucial need to accelerate the development and open sharing of new tools and methods for plant synthetic biology. The initiative covers both research and impact activities spanning three areas:
(i) engineering plant traits and products
(ii) open tools and technologies
(iii) responsible research and innovation
The Importance of Plant Synthetic Biology
Synthetic Biology takes an engineering-based approach and applies it to biological research. One of the key concepts of this approach is that genetic systems can be constructed using standardised, interchangeable parts. The adoption of standardised DNA parts and modular assembly techniques allows the benefits of abstraction and decoupling of design from fabrication that are found in other forms of engineering. We wish to extend this approach to the genetic reprogramming of plant systems.
We believe that Synthetic Biology offers the prospect of reprogrammed biological systems for improved and sustainable bioproduction. While early efforts in the field have been directed at microbes, the engineering of plant systems offers even greater potential benefits. Plants are already cultivated globally at low cost, harvested on the giga-tonne scale, and routinely used to produce the widest range of biostuffs, from fibres, wood, oils, sugar, fine chemicals, drugs to food.
There is an urgent need to improve our ability to reprogram crop metabolism and plant architecture in the face of global threats from new pathogens, climate change, soil degradation, restricted land use, salinity and drought. The next generation of DNA tools for "smart" breeding of crop systems should be shared - to promote global innovation and equitable access to sustainable bioeconomies.
The OpenPlant Work Programme
A two-tier model for ownership of intellectual property in plant biotechnology
The OpenPlant work programme is divided into two tiers, those aiming at the development of new plant traits and applications (green), which may require IP protection, and foundational work on the development of low level tools and resources (grey), which stay in the public domain.
OpenPlant aims to promote the adoption of open standards and technologies and better ways of these sharing tools. We believe
that open ways of working are necessary for innovation and equitable access to the new biotechnologies that will underpin future sustainable practices and the global bioeconomy.
Research
Open Tools and Technologies
OpenPlant work packages A-E address the development of open tools and technologies that will underpin systematic approaches to bioengineering of plants in both academia and industry. Projects in this work package include developing the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha as a model and testbed for engineering in plants; developing new tools for cell-free production systems, gene expression and genome editing; creating and standardising a library of DNA parts for use in plant synthetic biology; automation and robotisation of DNA assembly; and providing software to assist with synthetic biology research.
Engineering Plant traits and Products
OpenPlant’s development of new foundational DNA tools and techniques allows for a second level of work focused on the bio-engineering of new plant traits and products. Work packages F-J build upon our work with open tools and technologies to create novel plant applications, and engineer traits such as photosynthesis, leaf structure, carbohydrate content, nitrogen fixation. Other projects in this are include metabolic engineering for production of natural products, developing new forms of symbiosis, and creating plant virus-based systems for bioproduction.
Impact
Responsible Research and Innovation
OpenPlant conducts Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) through global interdisciplinary exchange, public engagement and open sharing. Work package K provides funding to support small-scale interdisciplinary grants, whilst work package L focuses on outreach activities, training and tools for open exchange of materials. In addition, Openplant’s research, tools and technologies are captured in publications and open resources, and have a direct impact on global scientific progress.
Industry
The scientific innovations, tools, technologies and data sharing approaches developed by OpenPlant have immediate impact on industry. OpenPlant has catalysed several commercial success stories and is collaborating with industry to ascertain maximum output. We aim to promote commercial development of scientific innovations to support the development of an equitable and sustainable bioeconomy.