Delivery of Small RNAs by Functional Hydrogel Nanoparticles to Improve Osmotic strEss Tolerance in Plants

RNA interference is a potent technology largely employed to trigger gene silencing and control specific biological processes. The

delivery of small RNA is one of the most intriguing challenges in RNAi technology. Smart nanomaterials for safe and effective RNA

delivery have been successfully exploited in animals, while a limited number of applications have been proposed in plants so far. The

present project aims to develop and to validate smart hydrogel for small RNA (siRNA and miRNA) delivery able to knock down the

expression of selected genes and ultimately promote osmotic stress tolerance in plants. To achieve these objectives, natural

hydrogels such as dextran, poly(ethylene glycol), chitosan and alginate will be synthesised and functionalised with small RNAs in

order to obtain nanomaterials with unique properties. Hydrogels will be applied to plant leaves and roots, both in vitro and in vivo. As

proof of concept, DAFNE will target control genes such as phytoene desaturase (PDS) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the

model species Arabidopis thaliana, whose knockdown phenotypes are well-known and easily detected. Subsequently, functional

hydrogels will deliver stress-related miRNAs in order to develop drought tolerant plants in A. thaliana and in a representative food

crop Solanum tuberosum.

Merging distinct expertise, DAFNE will offer the candidate researcher multidisciplinary training in the field of plant biology and

genetics, as well as in molecular and cell biology, which will expand her skills, currently based on chemical engineering.