Project Grant 20246701442517

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM) IS THE THIRD MOST-CONSUMED FOOD CROP IN THE WORLD GROWN IN ROUGHLY 130 COUNTRIES, 95 OF WHICH ARE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. POTATO IS CONSIDERED A FOOD SECURITY CROP FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS, IN WHICH POTATO PRODUCTION HAS RAMPED UP SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. THE US REMAINS THE FOURTH LARGEST PRODUCER OF POTATOES IN THE WORLD. POTATO IS A TOP FIVE COMMODITY CROP IN THE PDS' HOME STATE OF NEVADA. POTATO HAS AN ANNUAL VALUE OF $4.2 BILLION IN THE USA. UP TO 33% OF THE US POTATO TUBER CROP IS LOST DUE TO POSTHARVEST ISSUES LIKE WOUNDING, BRUISING, AND PATHOGEN ATTACK. THESE LOSSES CAN REACH AS HIGH AS 50% IN DEVELOPING NATIONS DUE TO FACTORS SUCH AS LACK OF PROPER STORAGE CONDITIONS. THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF POTATO EXTENDS BEYOND THE VALUE OF THE HARVESTED CROP. THE GLOBAL POTATO PROCESSING MARKET IS CURRENTLY VALUED AT $27.4 BILLION AND IS EXPECTED TO GROW TO $35.4 BILLION BY 2026.IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT WOUND HEALING AND DEPOSITION OF THE CORKY MATERIAL SUBERIN IN WOUND SITES IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO THE THE POST-HARVEST STORAGE LIFE OF POTATOES. WOUND SUBERIN DEPOSITION CAPACITY AND STORAGE LIFE ARE POSITIVELY CORRELATED. THAT IS TO SAY, POTATO CULTIVARS WITH BETTER WOUND SUBERIN DEPOSITION CAPACITY TEND TO HAVE LONGER STORAGE LIFE. EFFORTS TO IMPROVE WOUND HEALING CAPACITY OF THE USA'S NUMBER ONE VEGETABLE CROP MUST BE INFORMED BY UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES THAT GOVEN WOUND HEALING. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY UNDERSTANDING THE GENES AND SIGNALING PROCESSES THAT GOVERN WOUND SUBERIN DEPOSITION. THISRESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO DO EXACTLY THAT, TO PROVIDE AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENETIC AND SIGNALING FACTORS THAT REGULATE WOUND HEALING IN A CROP SPECIES IMPORTANT FORNATIONAL AND GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, POTATO.TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, CUTTING-EDGE GENOMICS AND GENOME EDITING TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS CRISPR AND HIGH-THROUGHPUT DNA/RNA SEQUENCINGWILL BE EMPLOYED. THROUGH THIS WORK, POTATO GERMPLASM WITH ALTERED WOUND SUBERIN DEPOSITION CAPACITY WILL BE GENERATED. THE GERMPLASM AND INFORMATION GENERATED THROUGH THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR PLANT BREEDING EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING POST-HARVEST POTATO TUBER LOSSESTHAT WILL TRANSLATABLE TO OTHER CROPS THAT UNDERGO LONG-TERM STORAGE (E.G. SWEET POTATO, RUTABAGA, CARROT, ETC.).