Plants come under threat from a variety of sources, particularly in an agricultural setting. Helping plants to fend against microbes, insects, and viruses can help to increase global food security, protect the economic interests of farmers, and make sustainable farming practices more tenable. Inspired by designer proteins and nanodelivery systems, the Caparco Research Group is developing a plant viral vector for a plant “vaccine” to allow for transient expression of immune stimulating proteins in N. benthamiana as a model system. We are also developing an engineered genetic circuit for controlled excretion of proteins from the roots of plants, aiming to tailor how the plants interact with the soil and their rhizobiome. By making these tools, we seek to enable sustainable crop protection through pesticide alternatives and plant immunoengineering.
