The present invention provides a method for modulating the alkaloid content of a plant (e.g. a tobacco plant), the method comprising modifying said plant by modulating the activity or expression of a protein kinase. The present invention also provides for the use of a protein kinase for modulating the alkaloid content of a plant, as well as tobacco cells, plants, plant propagation materials, harvested leaves, processed tobaccos, or tobacco products obtainable in accordance with the invention.

A method of screening for a stevia plant with high rebaudioside M content ratio, that includes detecting from a test stevia plant the presence and/or absence of at least one of (1) and (2), and at least one of (3) to (7): (1) homozygous for the allele wherein position 290 of SEQ ID NO: 1 is T; (2) homozygous for the allele wherein position 33 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is A; (3) homozygous for the allele wherein position 44 of SEQ ID NO: 3 is T; (4) homozygous for the allele wherein position 40 of SEQ ID NO: 4 is T; (5) homozygous for the allele wherein position 48 of SEQ ID NO: 5 is C; (6) homozygous for the allele wherein positions 55-72 of SEQ ID NO: 6 are deleted; (7) homozygous for the allele wherein position 50 of SEQ ID NO: 7 is A.

Methods and systems for the alteration of cannabinoid expression and composition are described. Modular systems for processing cannabis and hemp are described. Described components of the modular system include improved recovery of high-value cannabis components and methods for utilizing residual biomass components after the cannabis plant has been fully processed.

The present disclosure relates to the field of algal cultivation and biofuels. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of enhancing lipid production during algal culturing. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method of enhancing neutral lipid and total lipid production by maintaining algae in a thin layer cultivation system and exposing said algae maintained in the thin layer cultivation system to infra-red (IR) radiation. Said method enhances lipid accumulation in algae, thereby increasing the yield of neutral lipids and total lipids. The method is simple, cost-effective in producing high quantities of algal-derived biofuels, requires shorter time duration for lipid induction and results in no or minimal reduction of biomass.

A use of a ZmCCD8 gene in maize breeding, including overexpressing the ZmCCD8 gene in maize plants through breeding to increase iron content in maize leaves and/or kernels. The ZmCCD8 gene has a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1. The use of the ZmCCD8 gene in maize breeding can provide important genetic resources and technical support for improving crop quality and enhancing stress resistance, having important application prospects.

The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for breeding plants with an altered flavor or odor profile. Particularly, next generation plant breeding technologies are utilized for producing plants with target genes edited to reduce pungency in flavor or odor.

Genetic information on stevia is elucidated. The present invention provides a method of screening for a stevia plant having at least one of the chemical features (a) to (r), comprising a step of detecting from the genome of a test stevia plant the presence and/or the absence of at least one of the genetic features (1) to (3), etc.

The present invention discloses the polynucleotide sequences of genes encoding aspartate transaminase (AAT) from Nicotiana tabacum and the modulation of their expression. There is described a plant cell comprising: (i) a polynucleotide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 13 or SEQ ID NO: 15; (ii) a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide set forth in (i); (iii) a polypeptide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or SEQ ID No: 8, at least 93% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 10 or SEQ ID No: 12, or at least 94% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4 or SEQ ID NO: 14 or SEQ ID NO: 16; or (iv) a construct, vector or expression vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide set forth in (i), wherein said plant cell comprises at least one modification which modulates the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or the polypeptide as compared to a control plant cell in which the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or polypeptide has not been modified.

The present disclosure provides the identification of tobacco Nic1 locus. Also provided are tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid and nicotine levels and commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants. Also provided are compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants having novel Nic1 mutations or alleles to reduce nicotine levels. Further provided are sequence polymorphisms and molecular markers for breeding tobacco with reduced nicotine or nicotine free while maintaining tobacco leaf grade and tobacco product quality.

The present invention relates to a method of reducing the content of at least one tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) or a precursor of a TSNA in tobacco comprising expressing a deregulated cation efflux protein in a tobacco plant, or plant part thereof, or plant cell.