Research and Capacity Building for a Sustainable Agriculture

Towards more sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices through ICGEB research and capacity building in plant genomics, genome editing, and plant microbiomes.

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology’s (ICGEB) research is aligned to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.4, because it contributes to more sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices.

The key objectives of the project are to increase crop yields by: (i) generating new crop varieties that are more resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses; (ii) increasing the crop nutritional values; and (iii) reducing the use or need of fertilizers and pesticides and increasing crop productivity. Three technology approaches that are being studied in ICGEB’s laboratories will be used to increase the value of seeds and result in more sustainable agriculture: plant genomics, genome editing and plant microbiomes.

Genomics allows assigning gene functions and then accelerates the application of gene technology to agriculture via genome editing. Plant microbiome studies will lead to improved plant health through the beneficial microbes that are associated with the crop. Plant genomics provides a general outlook and analysis on gene identification and function.  

The identification of a few key genes that encode for proteins that are involved in resistance to the abiotic (e.g. cold, heat, salinity and drought) or biotic stresses (diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects or nematodes) can lead to their application in crop plants in specific habitats as a result of techniques such as genome editing. Genome editing or gene editing refers to modifications (insertions, deletions, substitutions) in the genome of a living organism. The novel and revolutionary methodology is based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9). It is accepted that the most promising applications of this technology will be used in a growing number of monocot and dicot plant species. By making nutrients available to plants, secreting phytohormones and improving soil structure, microbial communities confer multiple beneficial effects on overall plant growth. Plant microbiome studies are at very early stages; hence, understanding the plant microbiome and pathobiome will help devise ways to precisely tailor this extended genome of plants (or microbiome) in order to develop biofertilizers and/or biocontrol agents of disease.   

Within the broader scope of the project, the role of ICGEB is to enhance and assist with knowledge transfer in crop improvement and productivity, and to ensure that capacity building in plant genomics and microbiomes is followed through in developing countries. The multinational agricultural companies as well as the local companies from implementing countries contribute to the project by pooling resources and knowledge, and supporting the implementation of the project at the local level. This collaborative approach requires state-of-the-art research facility platforms, which are expensive and require specialized know-how; hence, South-South cooperation is paramount since not all countries have them in place. ICGEB can facilitate access and joint use of the necessary instruments and knowledge through its own state-of-the-art platforms and facilities, but more importantly, by providing support and assistance in setting them up in countries in the Global South, hence ensuring both the sustainability and the reproducibility of the project in the medium to long term. The factors that condition the reproducibility are the presence of one or several research institutions in an ICGEB member country that engage in collaborative work as well as networking with local companies and start-ups.  

In 2019 alone, the ICGEB has co-sponsored events related to this project in Argentina, India, Pakistan, Peru and Viet Nam, which ensures knowledge transfer and capacity building. Additionally, the ICGEB Regional Research Centres (RRCs) and the 41 affiliated centres, most in the Global South, serve as shared facility hubs for research and technology sharing. The role of the RRCs and affiliated centres is to provide platforms for education and training, and to promote technology transfer to foster local biotech industry. The annual allocation of funding by the ICGEB for collaborative activities in the Global South amounts to US$ 1 million.  

ICGEB has established networks and ongoing collaborations with many laboratories in crop improvement in the South (Burundi, Colombia, India, South Africa, Viet Nam, etc.), thus playing a role in creating multi-layered sustainability. This pipeline will therefore allow the sustainable implementation of state-of-the-art technologies and promote South-South cooperation. Other countries may join and harness existing platforms to either screen their compounds, set up a screening for their diseases of interest or produce recombinant proteins. Countries that already have the technology in place can receive assistance in setting new screenings or improving the different steps of protein production and entry into the market. Finally, countries willing to set up local platforms could benefit from this project as a model to follow during implementation and as hub for future collaborations.