Training in isolation and transfection of protoplasts in Argentina was carried out
Within the framework of the “Gene Edition for Improvement in Plant and Animal Species”, from June 6 to 8, 2022, the course on “Isolation and transfection of protoplasts” was developed in the IPADS-Balcarce Agrobiotechnology Laboratory INTA-CONICET) based in the EEA Balcarce of the INTA of Argentina.
In this instance Aura Garcia Serquén and Claudia Yalta Macedo (Inia Peru) were trained; Eduardo Morillo and Luis Santiago Meneses (Iniap, Ecuador); Guillermina Ruiz (Association of Argentine Cooperatives); Gina Garzón (Agrosavia, Colombia) and Valentina Di Pauli (INTA Argentina).
The transfection consists in the introduction of external genetic material (DNA or RNA) in eukaryotic cells, in this case of potato. Transfection techniques serve as an analytical tool that facilitates the characterization of genetic functions, protein synthesis, growth and cell development. Chemical, physical and biological methods are used to transfect cells and allow the study of the function and expression of genes in a cell environment. It is an essential process for gene edition.
The teaching body of the course was made up of Gabriela Massa, Cecilia Tentima Oneto, Ailín Arizmendi, Silvina Divito, Julián Zimermann and Sergio Feingold as a team of the INTA de Balcarce.
The objective of the “gene editing for improvement in plant and animal species” project is to generate technological capacities that allow the creation of new genetics for both high relevance crops for the region, as well as for animal species whose products are key to food safety future.
To do this, an inter -institutional platform for research and application of gene editing knowledge is being built, for which this course is one of the first advances.
The gene editing project is funded by Fontagro, Procisur, the Association of Argentine Cooperatives and Don Mario Semillas.
