Biosynthesis Of Anti-Inflammatory Triterpene Fatty Acid Esters In Calendula Officinalis

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• Connor Tansley (Patron Lab Group, DPS)
• Thursday 07 November 2024, 12:15-13:45
• Department of Plant Sciences, Large Lecture Theatre.

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Abstract Plants have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. In some cases, therapeutic properties have been attributed to specific metabolites, enabling their use as drugs in modern medicine. However, in many cases, the exact molecule(s) responsible for the bioactivity of many plant extracts remains unknown. Further, access to plant natural products is often complicated by low abundance, occurrence in complex mixtures, or by structural complexity, which limit the feasibility of chemical synthesis. We are investigating the reported anti-inflammatory floral extracts of Calendula officinalis (pot marigold), which have been used in medicine and skin care for centuries. In recent decades, this bioactivity has been associated with triterpene fatty acid esters (TFAEs). To identify the exact molecules responsible and elucidate the genetic basis of their production, we have combined multiomics with heterologous expression Nicotiana benthamiana and anti-inflammatory bioassays in human cell lines. Alongside this, we are using metabolic engineering and genome editing to improve N. benthamiana as a sustainable production chassis for medium-scale production of triterpenes to enhance the evaluation of compounds for medicine and agriculture.

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This talk is part of the Department Of Plant Sciences Seminar Series series.

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• Department Of Plant Sciences Seminar Series
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