The goal of our research is to use the model plant organism Physcomitrium patens as a manufacturing platform for synthetic plant neo-chromosomes. Synthetic plant chromosomes have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of plant biology and provide a platform for plant improvement. To create and test these synthetic chromosomes, we use employ synthetic biology principles like abstraction, standardisation and encapsulation for facilitating the engineering process. We use several synthetic genomics platforms for this goal, including Yeast and E. coli from which DNA can be mobilised into P. patens that has a high homologous recombination rate.

Our current research focus is on the basic components of plant chromosomes, like centromeres and telomeres. We are working to transfer synthetic genomics know-how from mammalian synthetic genomics to plants, for which Human Artificial Chromosomes (HACs) are a reality. However, the design of plant synthetic neo-chromosomes requires the generation of plant specificity know how. We hope to elucidate the mechanisms for creating plant synthetic chromosomes, which could have wide-ranging applications in fields such as biotechnology and data storage.

By gaining a deeper understanding of the processes involved in creating synthetic plant chromosomes, we hope to be able to optimize and refine these techniques to make them more efficient and effective. The high homologous recombination rates in P. patens, the haploid nature of the organism, provides a promising platform for creating plant chromosomes from scratch.

Our research has the potential to make significant contributions to the fields of plant genomics, synthetic biology, and evolution, and to have a positive impact on agriculture and other areas of society.