Exploring Novel Promoter Alleles for Multiple Vitamin Biofortification Using a Calli-Derived Somatic Embryo Platform 

While seeds are rich in energy sources, they lack many micronutrients, including multiple vitamins. Although seeds have the genetic potential to create vitamins, researchers struggle to increase seeds’ nutritional value because the synthesis of many vitamins in seeds are not active. Sun’s research is identifying DNA switches in seeds that, when activated, allow targeted gene editing to create biofortified seeds. Sun is also developing a speedier technique for screening DNA for these switches that avoids the time-consuming seed screening process.