IMPROVING OILSEED CROPS VIA PHENYLPROPANOID PATHWAY ENGINEERING

Our long-term goals are to develop and deploy a novel metabolic engineering strategy for improving oilseed crops. In this project, we propose to manipulate the phenylpropanoid pathway as a novel strategy for oilseed crop enhancement. Specifically, we will test approaches that target different phenylpropanoid branches: 1) block flavonoid biosynthesis to enhance seed oil content, and 2) manipulate lignin biosynthesis in seed coat to increase seed oil content and extractability.