Research Focus

Establishment of plant transformation core for herbal, floricultural and crop plants

Plant transformation has been widely adopted as a method of understanding how plants work, improving crop characteristics and producing value compounds. In comparison with model species such as tobacco and Arabidopsis, transformation in most herbal plants and some floricultural plants has not been reported yet. Several target plants such as high-value medicinal plant Echinacea spp. and agronomically important orchids (i.e., Phalaenopsis and Oncidium orchids) have been selected to set up the efficient plant regeneration and transformation systems. For herbal plants, research is focused on the relationship between the increase in levels of specific phytocompounds and the efficacy of transgenic herbs. For floricultural plants, research is focused on generation of novel coloration in flowers. For crop plants, research is focused on yield productivity. Once the transformation system is set up, the service will be provided upon request. Metabolic engineering in herbal, floricultural and crop plants can thus be achieved.