Project Number: 3622-21000-028-08
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 13, 2007
End Date: Jul 31, 2008

Objective:
To develop soybeans with red color pigment needed for salmon feed.

Approach:
It should be possible to engineer the desired colorant astaxanthin in soybean seeds with three genes: crtB (phytoene synthase) synthesizes phytoene, crtW from Agrobacterium aurantiacum will lead to the production of cantahaxanthin from phytoene. The crtZ gene from A. aurantiacum will then preferentially convert canthaxanthin to astaxanthin. Synthetic soybean optimized genes for all three genes will be transformed into soybean using standard protocols of the Parrott laboratory. The resulting positive transformants can be identified by color of regenerated embryos and regenerated into plants bearing seeds. The seeds will be extensively characterized and these plants crossed with the feed-optimized soybean plants being generated by the ARS partner.