Genetic Impurities in Seeds - Problem solved by IDna Genetics

IDna Genetics Ltd. established in 2004 by the John Innes Centre and Plant Bioscience Ltd (PBL), and led by Dr Peter Isaac, has applied its expertise in quality assurance issues and DNA analysis methods to help one of its key customers, a world-leading plant breeding company, solve a difficult problem.

The Problem
It was clear from the information provided by our customer that several of its commercial hybrid varieties were under suspicion of being impure, and these impurities traced back to the female lines. Rigorous attention to the purity of the male and female lines is critical. Contamination of the parent lines with other material will be evident in the hybrid seed, but only when that seed is growing in the farmer’s field. Contamination of hybrid seeds is a serious issue both for the farmer, and for the seed supplier, with associated liability issues.

The Solution
Seed Quality Assurance is one of our unique and specialist services. Within just a few days of our client coming to us with this problem, we focussed in on a key DNA sequence as a candidate marker to enable identification of pure female and contaminated female lines.

We then developed a tailor-made, rapid screening test, using our high-throughput genetic screening technology, to sort out the contaminated lots from the pure lots, and to determine the level of contamination. In the space of just 3 weeks we screened over 5000 seed samples for the presence of contamination, and reported back to our client.

The Benefit
Our customer received the essential (and timely) information that enabled it to identify contaminated female lots before using them for production, and to clear its stock of contaminated hybrids before sale.

Other Applications
Genetic screening technology has immediate application in identification of contaminated seed stocks. It can also be used to safeguard intellectual property rights. The technology can also be used to address the most basic of questions in any plant breeding situation “Is this bag of seed what I think it is?”.

More information
To find out more about IDna Genetics instant tailor-made solutions to genetic problems, or further information on the services provided by IDna Genetics to seeds professionals contact :

Peter Isaac at IDna Genetics Ltd.,
The Norwich Bioincubator,
Norwich Research Park,
Norwich NR4 7UH,
United Kingdom.

Tel: +44 (0)1603 450941, email: peter.isaac@idnagenetics.com