PREDESIGNX · Effector-Guided Engineering for Crop Resistance

PREDESIGNX aims to revolutionize crop protection strategies by developing a comprehensive pipeline for engineering durable disease resistance in Solanaceous crops. This ambitious project integrates advanced computational predictions, synthetic biology, and translational research to reduce pathogen-caused losses.The project is structured around three interconnected work packages:1.TARGET: Predict effectors and identify their host targets using advanced computational tools and large-scale genomic data. Validate predictions with high-throughput experimental approaches in planta.2.BIOENGINEERING: Explore natural domain integrations in well-characterized NLR systems, including Pik and Solanaceous NRC sensors. Engineer NLR receptors with altered recognition specificities using rational design principles guided by structural biology and evolutionary analysis.3.RESISTANCE: Apply bioengineered NLRs to crop protection, focusing on potato. Generate and evaluate transgenic potato lines expressing promising engineered NLRs against important pathogens.PREDESIGNX represents a significant advance in plant immunity and crop protection. By focusing on natural host protein domains and multiple NLR scaffolds, the project aims to develop a generalizable framework for engineering disease resistance in crops. This approach promises durable resistance while potentially simplifying regulatory pathways. The insights gained will advance our understanding of plant-pathogen interactions and provide innovative tools for crop improvement.By spanning computational biology, synthetic biology, and evolutionary analysis, PREDESIGNX has the potential to significantly impact global food security by providing new strategies for protecting key crops against devastating diseases. Furthermore, this project will yield fundamental insights into pathogen virulence strategies and the evolutionary dynamics of NLR-integrated domains, revealing the molecular arms race between plants and pathogens.