Research Initiation Award: Establishment of Pale Yellow Golden Pothos Plant-based Transgenic System for Studying Nuclear Genes Involved in Chloroplast Biogenesis

Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support for junior faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who need to re-direct and re-build a research program. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the researcher's home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences.

North Carolina Central University's (NCCU) HBCU-UP RIA is aimed at establishing an experimental system to study nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins and to test its reliability for the purpose by co-expressing two well-characterized nuclear-encoded plastid protein genes individually. Pale yellow 'Golden Pothos' plants resulting from impaired function of EaZIP, encoding the Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester cyclase in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway, is used for overexpression by EaZIP driven by an inducible promoter alcA (alcA:: EaZIP). The overall goal of the RIA is to develop a pale yellow 'Golden Pothos' plant-based inducible transgenic system to study chloroplast biogenesis.

During the two year duration, the project supports five undergraduate students in biotechnology. The project has the potential for local, regional and national impact through a collaboration with researchers at the University of Florida and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Institutional resources in support of the PI and students are also provided through the BRITE Institute at NCCU.

The project outcome also has the potential to result in training opportunities for additional students, particularly undergraduates from underrepresented minority populations, in molecular biology and biotechnology in gene cloning, for example. In addition, the project increases research capability and capacity at a historically black university in addition to making contributions to a diverse, highly competitive, scientific workforce for the nation.