Title : One fruit for life: Engineering multi-stress tolerance and biofortification in strawberry for sustainable food security
Abstract:
Global food security faces unprecedented challenges from escalating climate-induced abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, flooding, extreme temperatures) and pervasive micronutrient deficiencies ("hidden hunger"). This theoretical project, "One Fruit for Life," proposes an innovative genetic engineering blueprint to develop a strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) capable of thriving under diverse environmental adversities while offering enhanced nutritional value.Our computational biology approach identifies key stress-tolerance genes from extremophile plants (e.g., Suaeda maritima for salinity, Selaginella lepidophylla for desiccation, Antarctic pearlwort for cold) and rapid-growth genes from high-biomass species (e.g., bamboo). Concurrently, we target genes for enriching essential micronutrients (e.g., Vitamin A, iron, zinc) to combat prevalent deficiencies. Through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis (sequence homology, promoter analysis), we design theoretical gene constructs optimized for robust expression in strawberry. The envisioned 'super-strawberry' aims to provide stable, high-yield food production in challenging climates and directly alleviate malnutrition-related diseases. This project lays the groundwork for a scalable solution, offering a transferable methodology to engineer similar resilience and nutritional improvements in other staple crops.Such advancements are critical for fostering global food availability, enhancing public health, and promoting economic stability in a climate-challenged world.
