Genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of grain sorghum

PROPOSAL: ICA4-2000-30034 ACRONYM GENQSORG
AREA: FP5 - INCO2, 5/ unknown KeyAction Call number / date: -
PROJECT TYPE: Shared Cost EU CONTRIBUTION: 789,031
STARTING DATE: 2000-10-01 DURATION: 36 months

Coordinator: Dr. P. Terblanche, CSIR - Council for Sci., Ind. Research, Div. Food Science And Technology, PO Box 395, RSF -0001, Pretoria, South Africa, Republic, Email: pterblanche@csir.co.za

Project Description:
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) ranks fifth, worldwide, in production among cereals and it is unique in that it is adapted to semi-arid environments. Sorghum grain with enhanced protein quality would contribute significantly to improving the nutritional value of the diets of people and livestock dependent on sorghum as major protein source. The proposed research aims at genetically enhancing the nutritional value of grain sorghum by the introduction of the rnethionine-richmaise beta-zein and the lysine-rich barley chymotrypsin inhibitor CI-2 genes, with the goal to produce transgenic sorghum plants with elevated lysine and methionine content. In addition, the establishment of a routine protocol for sorghum transformation technology in Africa will form the basis for further genetic enhancement of this crop for the benefit of sub-Saharan Africa.

Project URL: not known

Consortium:
Co-ordinator: Contact Person: Terblanche, Petro (Dr) Department: Division Of Food Science And Technology Organisation: CSIR - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research PO Box 395 0001 PRETORIA SOUTH AFRICA Tel: +27-12-8414220 Fax: +27-12-8413105 pterblanche@csir.co.za Participants Contact Person: WITTE, Els (Professor) Department: AFDELING PLANTENGENETICA - FACULTEIT VAN DE WETENSCHAPPEN Organisation: Vrije Universiteit Brussel 2 Pleinlaan 2 1050 BRUXELLES BELGIUM Contact Person: AVRON, Boaz (Dr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF PLANT SCIENCES Organisation: Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl Street 2 PO Box 26 76100 REHOVOT ISRAEL Contact Person: MARFO, K.O. (Dr) Organisation: Savanna Agricultural Research Institute 50 TAMALE GHANA Contact Person: DE BORDE, John (Mr) Department: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES - LONG ASHTON RESEARCH STATION Organisation: University of Bristol Long Ashton Research Station BS41 9AF BRISTOL UNITED KINGDOM


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