Unicamp researchers discovered a genetic code in sugarcane that enhances the plant's ability to respond to extreme stress events, such as drought. The discovery now moves on to a new phase of studies to assess whether it is possible to apply this same code to soybeans, Brazil's main export product.
The research is carried out through a partnership between Unicamp's Institute of Biology (IB) and the company Novag, from Mato Grosso do Sul, which obtained licensing for the technology developed at the University, in 2022, with support from the Inova Unicamp Innovation Agency , for the use of genes. The studies pave the way for the development of a new species of soybeans, capable of facing climate change and reducing the environmental impacts caused by large-scale agricultural production.
Tests with soy began in 2014, with another licensing of intellectual property from Unicamp, also carried out with the support of Inova, which led to the development of the technology obtained by Novag. However, the plant's transformation process proved to be more complex than anticipated, and researchers are now adopting new protocols.
According to Professor Marcelo Menossi, from the Functional Genome Laboratory at IB Unicamp, responsible for the research, the challenge lies in the process of introducing genetic material into the plant, a procedure that is very specific and carried out by few laboratories in the world.
“Existing protocols did not work in the experiments we carried out, so we will adopt other strategies. We believe that, by resolving this technological obstacle, we will be able to have a quick answer and discover if, in fact, the sugarcane gene makes soybeans more resistant to drought”, he explains.
For Novag, research could result in an important innovation for global agriculture, and the partnership with Unicamp creates opportunities for this. “Studies with soy meet the need to produce more in less territorial space, reducing deforestation and environmental impacts”, says the company’s founder, Giovani Saccardo Clemente.
The company's investment in soybean research is strategic, considering the importance of this plant for the world economy. “Soy, which is the most consumed protein in the world, when damaged by climate change, causes direct impacts on agriculture and the economy. Technologies capable of mitigating this damage are tools for the whole world,” he said. Novag is part of a holding company and focuses on prospecting new technologies, one of its lines of action being transgenic plants.
Process of discovering the genetic code and applying it to other plants
To obtain the sugarcane genetic code, one of the first steps taken by researchers at the Functional Genome Laboratory (LGF-Unicamp) was to apply stress to several sugarcane varieties — some more tolerant to drought and others less — and analyze the responses obtained.
With this, it was observed which parts of the genetic code were activated under stress conditions. In the case of sugar cane, it activates thousands of responses that help or not help it react to these situations.
“We managed to change the genetic code of sugar cane, enhancing its use and responding positively to stress events. The technology makes sugarcane increase its tolerance to drought”, explains the professor.
The researchers also applied the gene to other plants, such as tobacco, a species whose genome is easy to manipulate. The result, after incorporation, was also a more drought-tolerant plant.
To arrive at the sugarcane genetic code, research was carried out in collaboration with the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), linked to the University of Ghent, in Belgium, which had advanced technology for plant control and analysis.
For this, dozens of genes already identified and selected by researchers at Unicamp were used. The tests were carried out with the Arabidopsis thaliana — a model plant — and humidity, temperature and light were monitored. The robotic platform weighed the plants, adding an insufficient amount of water, leaving them under stress. The system photographed and calculated the leaf area to monitor development. The controlled environment was able to induce a level of stress and reduce their growth by 20%, which more closely simulates the climatic conditions observed in the field.
Vanessa Regina Gonçalves, now a professor at the University of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul-Itajaí) and responsible for the tests in Belgium during her doctorate at the Unicamp Biology Institute, explains that they were fundamental in obtaining the sugarcane's genetic code -sugar. This is because research in laboratories — without the use of this technology — subjects plants to very high stress, which is not compatible with the reality in the field.
“There are many genetic codes in the plant that protect them against a high level of stress. But we were interested in milder stress, which is similar to field situations. Without this robotic platform, we would not have gotten these answers,” he explains.
Research to discover the genetic code of sugar cane is work that lasts more than 10 years. The method used in the discovery has already had a patent application filed with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) with a strategy from Inova Unicamp.
For Professor Marcelo Menossi, technology licensing allows the University to have more resources to advance research and promote innovation that brings direct impacts to society. “The partnership with the company helps direct research towards what the market really demands, actually reaching its application”, he concluded.
