Project Grant 2303522

This $322,020 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Integrative Organismal Systems will support collaborative research at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to develop improved methods for CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing in maize. The key objectives are to generate maize lines expressing high levels of Cas9 nuclease and to engineer and optimize viral vectors to efficiently deliver guide RNAs for both somatic and heritable gene editing. This research aims to overcome limitations of current maize transformation methods and accelerate functional genomics studies in this major food crop. The project will also provide hands-on research training to underrepresented minority undergraduate and high school students. The three-year award period runs from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2026 and supports work under the NSF's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074).