Current Research

1. Plant Genome Editing/Engineering

In plants, the first generation of genome editing was the random modification of the plant genome caused by chemical and radiation mutagenesis and Agrobacterium-mediated T-DNA insertion. Following 1983 seminal report on the double-strand break mechanism, homing meganucleases such as I-SceI, DNA binding domain-FokI restriction nuclease, artificial zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), and artificial transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-nucleases called TALENs were used for genome editing (GE). Recently, CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) system, natural bacterial immune system to cleave invading genomes like bacteriophage was modified and applied for accurate targeting and DSB inducing DSB-directed repairs. In contrast to ZFN and TALEN, CRISPR-Cas is guided by small RNA, called crRNA and tacrRNA, and is much more affordable and easy to use. DSB-directed repairs involve in-del mutation (non-homologous end joining) or homologous recombination-based repair (HDR) when homologous donor templates are available. Now CRISPR-Cas mediated in-del mutagenesis became a routine plant biotechnological tool, but HDR-mediated targeted genome editing (HR-TGE) is highly challenging in higher plants. In addition, many diverse GE tools are being developed. Currently, our lab is working to develop efficient plant GE tools.  Using developed GE and synthetic biology tools, we are developing innovative crops that can serve human health and happiness. 

Our main research projects are as follows:

1. Developing more efficient plant Base Editor tools

2. Establishing efficient homology-directed repair mediated GE methods in plants

3. Establishing efficient Microhonology-mediated end-joining GE methods in plants

4. Optimizing Plant Prime Editors

5. Developing non-cell-autonomous cell-to-cell mobile GE tools

6. Developing targeted random mutation tools

7. Tomato breeding using CRISPR-mediated GE

8. Cannabinoid engineering using GE in Cannabis (hemp, marijuana)

9. Other domestic/international collaborations

    - Domestic: Sweet potato, poplar, Ginseng

    - international: Soybean, rice, sugarcane