Invention Reference Number
Plant transformation is essential for genetic engineering but typically depends on labor-intensive, multi-step manual procedures that limit consistency, throughput, and efficiency. This invention introduces an automated approach that replaces key manual operations in plant transformation with an integrated system. By combining robotic handling, sensing, and computational intelligence with a more flexible biological workflow, the technology reduces labor demands, increases reproducibility, and accelerates the production of transgenic plants for research and commercial use.
Description
This invention provides a method and system that automates traditionally manual stages of plant transformation, addressing challenges associated with labor requirements, variable success rates, and limited scalability. The design integrates robotics, sensing technologies, computing systems, and artificial intelligence into a coordinated platform capable of executing controlled transformation steps with minimal human intervention.
A recent biological process discovery—demonstrating the suitability of multiple plant parts as starting materials—supports a more versatile and higher-capacity workflow compared to conventional leaf-based methods. When combined with ORNL’s prior automation advancements, this discovery enables a conceptual design for a high-throughput automated transformation system. The system’s architecture allows for streamlined handling, monitoring, and processing of plant materials without specifying proprietary mechanisms or configurations.
Together, these elements establish a scalable framework for automated transgenic plant production that can be adapted to various crop improvement pipelines while maintaining consistent output quality.
Benefits
- Reduces labor and operational time
- Enhances consistency and reliability of transformation outcomes
- Increases throughput for generating transgenic plants
Applications and Industries
- Accelerated crop improvement and genetic engineering workflows
- Agriculture, food production, and bioenergy crop development
- Biotechnology companies and research institutions
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
