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Key soybean cyst nematode findings in ‘Nature’

Note: this technology is the subject of an SIU pending patent and is available for license.

The Saluki Times

October 15, 2012
By Andrea Hahn

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A team of scientists, including several from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, may have unlocked the mystery of why some soybeans are resistant to the devastating soybean cyst nematode. 

Scientists, led by Khalid Meksem, professor of plant, soil, and agricultural systems at SIU Carbondale, and Melissa G. Mitchum, associate professor of plant sciences at the University of Missouri, have been studying the problem for years. 

And they may have found an answer within the soybean itself. 

This week, the prestigious international journal "Nature," publishes research results in which the researchers identify a soybean cyst nematode resistant gene that gives certain soybeans natural resistance. The study further examines the underlying processes that help the plants ward off pathogens. The team hopes that better understanding of how the resistant genes work will lead to better pest resistance and improved crop yield. 

The scientists still have their work cut out for them, as they learn more about how the identified gene works. 

The paper detailing the work and results of the research teams, "A Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistance Gene Points to a New Mechanism of Plant Resistance to Pathogens," appear online in "Nature" today (Oct. 15). 

Meksem said "Nature" is widely considered the top scientific journal, especially as far as its impact on the international scientific community and the public, as well. Publication in "Nature" is a career highlight for any scientist, often a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, Meksem said. This is the first time "Nature" has published a paper from the SIU Carbondale College of Agricultural Sciences. 

Other SIU Carbondale researchers include: Shiming Liu, Aziz Jamai, and Tarik El-Mellouki, who were graduate and post-doctoral students while they were part of the research team.
The soybean cyst nematode seems like something out of a science-fiction movie. The microscopic worm attacks the root system of a soybean plant, leading to stunted root and shoot growth, and then in dead roots and loss in seed yield. 

The female nematode swells as she devours the root system of the soybean plants, often bursting through the root and becoming visible to the naked eyed. She lays 200 to 400 eggs, forming an egg sac inside of herself. She dies then, and becomes a hard cyst. The eggs hatch, the larvae develop inside the cyst, and then break into the root system to begin the cycle again. 

It's a lifecycle that devastates soybean crops the world over, costing farmers in the United States alone more than $1 billion in lost crop yield every year. Farmers and scientists have long known that some soybeans are resistant to the cyst nematode, but exactly why remained a mystery. 

In the past, farmers used the soybean cyst nematode resistant soybeans, and they practiced crop rotation to keep the nematodes in check. An infected field can lose as much as 75 percent of its yield -- a devastating loss to an individual farmer, and a serious challenge to the multi-billion dollar soybean industry. 

Now that the gene is identified, plant breeders know which gene to emphasize in breeding resistant varieties of soybean. This discovery comes at a time when farmers desperately need new solutions, as the nematodes adapt and find ways through the soybeans' defenses. 

"We realized we had the gene about two years ago," Meksem said, noting that the University of Missouri team worked closely with them to determine how the gene worked -- an ongoing part of the research.

Results: Round 1 of Saluki Idea Competition

Congratulations to all competitors and thanks to everyone who voted online!  The list of the top 5 vote earners in the online voting round of the Saluki Idea Competition is available at http://siu.launcht.com.  The final round takes place at the Tech Expo in Carbondale on Friday, where the top five do a 3-minute elevator pitch in front of a panel of judges to win prizes.

Reminder: VOTE

Last day to vote in the Saluki Idea Competition!  Round 1 voting closes tonight at midnight.  Go to http://siu.launcht.com now to vote.

Technology and Innovation Expo is Oct. 19

The Saluki Times

October 12, 2012

By Christi Mathis

 

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The 2012 Technology and Innovation Expo next week will celebrate the innovative spirit and discovery that are an intrinsic part of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a top-tier research University. 

The fourth annual expo, "Sustaining Our Community," is Friday, Oct. 19, and will highlight the ways the University fuels growth and development in the region and beyond Southern Illinois. The event is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, 1740 Innovation Drive in Carbondale. Registration and a continental breakfast start the day. 

University faculty members will present their technology innovations, giving participants an opportunity to view exciting patented and patent-pending inventions, concepts and more. Michael Marlaire, an SIU Carbondale alumnus and NASA Research Park director, will present the keynote address, and there will also be a panel discussion that focuses on "Leveraging Knowledge and Technology for Sustainable Property." John Caupert, a University alumnus and director of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center, will serve as moderator for the discussion. 

The Innovation Awards presentation will recognize the Inventor of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Startup of the Year and Student Startup of the Year. During the afternoon, teams led by SIU students will showcase their ingenuity, originality, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit as they compete for cash prizes in the Saluki Idea Competition. 

Teams have developed a variety of ideas for new products or services in conjunction with the theme of the day. Online voting is under way for the contest and continues until 11:49 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14. Visit http://siu.launcht.com/ to see the original Saluki ideas and cast your ballots. The top five vote recipients will highlight their work at the Tech Expo as they vie for prizes of up to $500. 

Registration for the expo is $25 per person, and includes a catered luncheon featuring regional food and drink favorites and the afternoon reception. Participants will enjoy learning about the latest technological innovations and research advances at the University and networking with others in business, industry, finance, economic development, academia and other venues. 

Details about the expo, registration and the event's live webcast are available at http://tie.siu.edu/. More information is also available from Amy McMorrow Hunter at amcmorro@siu.edu or by calling 618/453-4556.