Increased Plant Salt Tolerance

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Increasing Salt Tolerance in Arabidopsis Thaliana Tech ID: UA18-103 Invention: This technology is a means of conferring increased salt tolerance in Arabidopsis Thaliana, a small flowering plant that is widely used as a model organism in plant biology. Background: With 36% of the world's food supply being produced by irrigated land, a growing challenge exists for food safety and agriculture regarding the treatment methodologies in overcoming salt accumulation in soil. One-fifth of irrigated land world-wide is affected by increased soil salinity, resulting in a global economic cost exceeding $27 billion. Crops grown in high salinity environments experience inhibited/disrupted growth due to osmotic stresses and salt related injury. Multiple strategies to address this issue have been explored including soil decontamination and plant modification. This technology addresses these issues by employing recent genetic engineering and scientific advances to confer increased salt-tolerance. Crop yields may be recovered, ultimately restoring functionality and productivity to land with high salinity soil.