APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Bio-based latex production
ADVANTAGES:
- Sustainable
- Improves upon earlier attempts to increase latex production in guayule
ABSTRACT:
Researchers at Berkeley Lab’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have engineered latex-producing plants, e.g., guayule plants, to increase latex production. The JBEI invention additionally provides plants engineered in accordance with the invention and methods of using the plants to produce latex.
Prior attempts to increase latex production in guayule focused on the overexpression of isoprenoid biosynthetic enzymes thought to be rate limiting. This strategy has not been successful to date: overexpression of these enzymes increased metabolic flux into the mevalonate pathway, however latex production was not significantly increased.
For details regarding this invention, see Published U. S. Patent Application 16/117,792 (Publication No. US 2019/0062769).
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Proven principle.
STATUS: Published U. S. Patent Application 16/117,792 (Publication No. US 2019/0062769). Available for licensing or collaborative research.
REFERENCE NUMBER: 2017-018