About Crop Transformation Center
CTC was founded in 2023 to address the need for rapid development and commercialization of genetically improved crops and to specifically address citrus greening in Florida through advanced genetics research and product development.
The Florida Department of Citrus and UF collaborated to invest in new greenhouses, equipment, and faculty to deliver advanced agricultural solutions to Florida growers.
Mission and Objectives
Our mission is to accelerate genetic gain for specialty crops to improve human and environmental health.
We aim to
- Increase the availability, access, and adoption of new plant breeds, leading to a greater supply and variety of phytonutrient-rich foods.
- Advance crop improvement methodologies that harness predictive breeding, precision agriculture and plant transformation and gene-editing to hasten rate of genetic gain while improving the positive net impact of agriculture on the environment.
- Engage producers and consumers in a fruitful dialogue conductive to increasing literacy in crop improvement technologies, healthy lifestyle and eating behaviors, and inform the public of center strategies.
Our original framework enables effective commercialization of genetically improved crops (transgenic lines) from concept to product implementation and to demonstrate the framework by introducing HLB resistant trees.
Our industry approach to designing, creating, evaluating, and commercializing traits (gene/s that lead to crop improvement) will improve cultivars relevant to Florida growers.
Our outputs consist of a mature framework, analytical tools, and a pipeline of trees bred for disease resistance.
The Impact of our Work on the Citrus Industry
Transgenic and/or gene-edited elite germplasm has high potential for commercialization. Our framework focuses on maximizing the chances to deliver a commercial product beyond the ideation stage.
The creation of a diverse pipeline that builds upon optimizing gene concepts is based on the most advanced scientific understanding of HLB resistance at UF and the use of advanced computation pathology approaches (AI) will help to mitigate risks and speed outputs.
The diverse genetic pipeline offers Florida growers options and reassurances that when resistance is lost, there are other candidate traits in the pipeline to combat HLB. Research on how to grow tolerant and susceptible refuges will minimize the probability of loss of citrus resistance.
Human dimension work adds value to the grower in the form of better understanding a) growers’ criteria to advance a genetic concept from idea to product, b) barriers to adoption and factors that can derail the project, and c) the creation of educational materials and communications to increase consumer literacy regarding the value of new and improved citrus products.