Expanding the functional genomics toolbox: uncovering mechanisms of cooking-quality defects in pea and common bean

Dry, edible seeds from legumes known as pulses, are a staple in global diets, with peas and common beans ranking among the most consumed varieties. Before consumption pulses must be cooked, making cooking quality a crucial aspect.

Unfortunately, cooking-quality defects such as hard-shell and hard-to-cook behaviour are prevalent in these pulses which severely affect their end-use quality.

While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted to identify candidate genes causing these characteristics, their functional validation is missing.

Yet, understanding the genes involved in these defects, could lead to a more efficient cultivar improvement through the use of modern DNA breeding techniques (e.g., CRISPR/Cas).An innovative approach to validate the function of endogenous plant genes involves silencing them with virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), which is emerging as a successful method in legumes.

However, current VIGS methods primarily target silencing in leaf, stem, flowers, and roots, leaving silencing in seeds and pods relatively underexplored.

This project aims therefore to develop and refine a method for VIGS in seeds and pods of pea and common bean, paving the way for breeding cultivars of superior end-use quality.

Furthermore, the project will utilise multiple genomes within the same species (pangenomics) to evaluate candidate genes, thereby adding a new powerful benchmarking tool for candidate-gene selection.