Service and Technology Development

Plant transformation has become widely adopted as an important method to both understand how gene works and to improve plant characteristics.
- Providing plant transformation service for the following plant species upon request: Bidens pilosa; Echinacea purpurea; Cleome spinosa; C. gynandra; Japonica-type rice (Oryza sativa var. TN-67).
- Development of efficient plant tissue culture and transformation system for other target plants which will be used or may be used in our research center, such as Wedelia chinensis, Indica-type rice (Oryza sativa var. IR64) or other important plants.
- Production of variant/polyploid lines by using in vitro tissue culture technology.
- Personnel training in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation.
Selected Publications related to core development and service
- Wang, H.-M., Jeng, S.-T. and To, K.-Y. (2017) In vitro regeneration, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and genetic assay of chalcone synthase in the medicinal plant Echinacea pallida. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 130:117-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11240-017-1208-5
- Chen, P.-Y., Tsai, Y.-T., Ng, C.-Y., Ku, M. S.-B. and To, K.-Y. (2017) Transformation and characterization of transgenic rice and Cleome spinosa plants carrying the maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase genomic DNA. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 128:509-519. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11240-016-1128-9
- Wang, H.-M., To, K.-Y., Lai, H.-M. and Jeng, S.-T. (2016). Modification of flower colour by suppressing beta-ring carotene hydroxylase genes in Oncidium. Plant Biology 18: 220-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/plb.12399
- Wang, C.-K., Chin, Y.-C., Lin, C.-Y., Chen, P.-Y. and To, K.-Y. (2015). Transforming the snapdragon aurone biosynthetic genes into petunia alters coloration patterns in transgenic flowers. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology 6: 702-722. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/abb.2015.612073
- Tsai, Y.-T., Chen, P.-Y., and To, K.-Y. * (2012) Plant regeneration and stable transformation in the loricultural plant Cleome spinosa, a C3 plant closely related to the C4 plant C. gynandra. Plant Cell Reports 31: 1189-1198.
- Wang, C.-K.#, Hsu, S.-Y.#, Chen, P.-Y., and To, K.-Y. * (2012) Transformation and characterization of transgenic Bidens pilosa L. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 109: 457-464. (#: equal contribution author)
Patents related to core development
- "Medium System of Plant Regeneration from Bidens pilosa, and Method of Plant Regeneration and Transformation Production from Bidens pilosa". To, K.-Y., Wang, C.-K., and Hsu, S.-Y. ROC Patent No. I458826.
- "Transgenic Echinacea plants". To, Kin-Ying and Wang, Hsin-Mei. ROC Patent No. I287576.