The goal of our research is to use the model plant organism Physcomitrium patens as a production 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 synthetic biology principles such as abstraction, standardization, and encapsulation to facilitate the engineering process. To this end, we are using several synthetic genomics platforms, including bakers yeast and E. coli, from which DNA can be mobilized into P. patens, which has a high rate of homologous recombination.

Our current research focus is on the basic components of plant chromosomes, such as 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-specific know-how. We hope to elucidate the mechanisms for creating plant synthetic chromosomes, which could have broad applications in fields such as biotechnology and data storage.

By gaining a deeper understanding of the processes involved in creating synthetic plant chromosomes, we further hope to optimize and refine these techniques to make them more efficient and effective. The high rates of homologous recombination in P. patens, and the haploid nature of the organism, provide 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 positively impact agriculture and other areas of society.