AIBN Seminar Series: Developing nanoparticle delivery platform for plant regulation

We are pleased to present Mr Jiaxi Yong one of our PHD students.

Date: Thursday, 17 February

Time: 12 - 1pm

Venue: Online Via Zoom

Click here to access the free seminar.

Abstract

Biotechnology applying biomolecules to regulate the plant physiology and to promote crop production is critical in addressing the sustainable development of agriculture. However, the delivery of biomolecules to plant cells has been a longstanding problem due to the barriers in plants, such as cell wall. Nanotechnology provides a promising way of delivering the biomolecules to plants, while the lack of knowledge in plant-nanoparticles interactions hindered the development of nanocarriers for plants. To address this situation, this study focuses on revelling nanoparticle internalization, translocation, and delivery of biomolecules to plants and plant cells. Started with a cellular level organ, pollen, where it is demonstrated that layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay nanoparticles up to 50 nm in diameter can be readily internalized, particularly by early bicellular pollen, in an energy-dependent and energy-independent manner without physical or chemical aid. And silence target gene by delivery of double-stranded RNA. Then we progress towards leaves and demonstrate that 30-40 nm LDH nanoparticles can be rapidly taken up by intact Nicotiana benthamiana leaf cells and chloroplasts following infiltration-mediated application. We also describe the distribution of the infiltrated clay nanoparticles in the leaves as well as demonstrate their translocation through the apoplast and vasculature system. Meanwhile, LDH nanoparticles can greatly enhance the internalization of nucleic acids by N. benthamiana leaves to facilitate siRNA-mediated down-regulation of the targeted transgene mRNA..

Presenter: Mr Jiaxi Yong Xu Group, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland

Jiaxi Yong is a PhD candidate in Xu group since 2019. He has a background in chemical engineering and received his M. Eng in 2018 and B. Eng in 2015. His current research is on investigating nanoparticle-plant interactions and developing nanoparticle-based delivery platform for plants.

Click here to join the Seminar Online