Plant Genomics & Transformation Facility
Plant Genomics & Transformation Facility
About the PGTF
The PGTF is directed by Myeong-Je Cho and located in UC Berkeley’s Innovative Genomics Institute Building. PGTF staff have established efficient transformation and genome editing protocols for an array of major crop species. The facility collaborates with members of the IGI, industry partners, and the local research community.
The PGTF continues to:
- Establish and develop enabling technologies for CRISPR-Cas9 applications in target crop species
- Genome-edit major crop species
- Collaborate with other principal investigators and researchers
- Perform research on seed quality improvement via genome editing
PGTF Crop Plants
The PGTF has genome editing and genetic transformation capabilities in over 30 major crop plants and is continually building our repertoire. Please contact the PGTF if you have any questions about our capabilities.
| Crops currently involved in PGTF projects | Additional crops within PGTF capabilities |
| Tomato | Arabidopsis |
| Cassava | Potato |
| Cacao | Cotton |
| Broccoli | Soybean |
| Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) | Sugarcane |
| Nicotiana benthamiana | Triticale |
| Pepper (Capsicum) | Barley |
| Rice | Oat |
| Corn | Turf/forage grass |
| Wheat | And more… |
| Banana | |
| Sorghum |
PGTF Team
Serene Megan Cheng
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Victoria Hong
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Jessica Song
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Geoffrey Daniel Vrla, Ph.D.
Postdoc
Selected Publications
Engineering Brassica crops to optimize delivery of bioactive products postcooking
Barnum CR, Cho M-J, Markel K, and Shih PM. ACS Synthetic Biology
Paralog editing tunes rice stomatal density to maintain photosynthesis and improve drought tolerance
Karavolias NG, Patel-Tupper D, Seong K, Tjahjadi M, Gueorguieva G, Tanaka J, Cruz AG, Lieberman S, Litvak L, Dahlbeck D, Cho MJ, Niyogi KN, and Staskawicz BJ. Plant Physiology
CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout of CYP79D1 and CYP79D2 in cassava attenuates toxic cyanogen production
Gomez MA, Berkoff KC, Gill BK, Iavarone AT, Lieberman SE, Ma JM, Schultink A, Karavolias NG, Wyman SK, Chauhan RD, Taylor NJ, Staskawicz BJ, Cho MJ, Rokhsar DS, and Lyons BJ. Frontiers in Plant Science
Optimization of highly efficient exogenous-DNA-free Cas9-ribonucleoprotein mediated gene editing in disease susceptibility loci in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Poddar S, Tanaka J, Running KLD, Kariyawasam GK, Faris JD, Friesen TL, Cho M-J, Cate JHD, and Staskawicz B. Frontiers in Plant Science
Improvement of Gene Delivery and Mutation Efficiency in the CRISPR-Cas9 Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genomics System via Biolistics
Tanaka J, Minkenberg B, Poddar S, Staskawicz B, and Cho MJ. Genes (Basel)
Screening of cultivars for tissue culture response and establishment of genetic transformation in a high-yielding and disease-resistant cultivar of Theobroma cacao
Jones J, Zhang E, Tucker D, Rietz D, Dahlbeck D, Gomez M, Garcia C, Marelli JP, Livingstone III D, Schnell R, Staskawicz B, and Cho MJ. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant
Efficient isolation of protoplasts from rice calli with pause points and its application in transient gene expression and genome editing assays.
Poddar S, Tanaka J, Cate JHD, Staskawicz B, and Cho M-J. Plant Methods
See the full list of Myeong-Je Cho’s publications.
Gallery
Careers & Contact
To learn about open positions at the IGI and PGTF, see our Careers page.
For any inquiries about the PGTF’s ongoing work or potential partnerships, please contact Myeong-Je Cho at [email protected].