Grant: Engage Grants Program

Crop protection chemicals are essential in agriculture to enhance the production and quality of crops and there is a continuous*need for new active chemicals that are more effective, selective, and environmentally benign such that they do not possess*negative off-target effects on the environment or human health. Cellulose Biosynthesis Inhibitors (CBIs) are of significant interest*as herbicides since they disrupt cellulose production, thus inhibiting growth since cellulose is the major component of plant cell*walls. In this collaborative project, Frontier Agri-Science Inc., an Ontario agri-tech company and Prof. Hendrick de Haan (UOIT)*are proposing to further develop and refine a 3D structure for a cellulose synthase protein and to perform simulations of known*CBIs interacting with the protein. Point mutations that have developed by Frontier Agri-Science will then be implemented such that*comparison between the wild-type and mutated proteins can give insight into the mechanisms of conveying resistance to CBIs.*Selective resistance via these mutations will allow for selective resistance such that CBIs can be used to control the growth of all*plants except the desired crop. This research could significantly advance the production of target crops for increased yield and*thus convey significant economic benefit in not only expanding Frontier Agri-Science but to the agricultural sector of Ontario.