Danna Melissa Susunaga Gomez

EAFIT University, Colombia

Abstract Title:

Toward sustainable plant protein production: A cellular agriculture platform coupled with CRISPR/Cas9 editing in soybean

Biography:

Danna Susunaga-Gómez is a PhD candidate in Biotechnology at EAFIT University, Colombia. She holds a Master's degree in Biotechnology and conducts research in plant biotechnology, molecular biology, genetic transformation, and bioinformatics. She is the recipient of the Colombian Ministry of Science (MinCiencias) Doctoral Scholarship and has presented her research at REDBIO Colombia and international conferences in plant biotechnology. In addition to her research activities, she contributes to undergraduate teaching in biotechnology and agronomy, promoting innovation in sustainable agricultural and biotechnological applications.

Research Interests:

The growing demand for sustainable and nutritionally improved plant proteins has driven the development of innovative biotechnological strategies that complement conventional crop breeding. Soybean (Glycine max L.) is the leading source of plant protein worldwide; however, its seed storage proteins contain relatively low levels of sulfur-containing essential amino acids. This study aims to establish an integrated cellular agriculture platform combining plant cell suspension cultures with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to improve soybean protein quality. An efficient in vitro platform was developed using the Brazilian 2 soybean cultivar through the optimization of seed disinfection, friable callus induction, and establishment of cell suspension cultures. Growth kinetics enabled the identification of the optimal subculture stage for biomass production. In parallel, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation system was optimized using the pCAMBIA1305.2 vector. Hygromycin selection conditions were established, and transformed tissues were validated by histochemical GUS assays and molecular analyses, confirming successful transgene delivery. Building on this platform, a bioinformatics pipeline was designed to identify CRISPR/Cas9 target sites in the β-conglycinin gene family, with the long-term objective of generating soybean cell cultures with an improved storage protein composition. The integration of plant biotechnology, genome editing, and cellular agriculture provides a versatile framework for developing sustainable plant-based protein production systems. This platform represents a promising foundation for future applications in crop biotechnology, functional protein production, and next-generation cellular agriculture.