MINI REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1598673
This article is part of the Research TopicEducation in Synthetic BiologyView all 8 articles
Viral Vector-based Transient Expression Systems for Plant Biotechnology Research at PUIs
Provisionally accepted
- University of Pikeville, Pikeville, United States
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Traditional stable genetic transformation in plant biotechnology remains largely inaccessible at many Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUIs) due to high costs, long timelines, and specialized facility demands. Viral vector-based transient expression systems offer an efficient and accessible alternative method that enables meaningful undergraduate research within a single academic term. These systems utilize plant virus-derived vectors (e.g., TMV or Geminivirus) to transiently express target genes, producing detectable recombinant proteins within 3-7 days.Requiring only basic lab tools, they align well with Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), lab courses, and capstone projects. Students gain practical experience in gene cloning, agroinfiltration, protein or metabolite chemical analysis, while faculty benefit from increased research capacity and funding potential. This mini-review highlights the advantages, implementation strategies, and funding opportunities of viral vector-based transient expression systems at PUIs, underscoring their value in expanding access to synthetic biology, plant-based biomanufacturing, and interdisciplinary STEM education.
Keywords: Undergraduate research, Plant transient expression, Research curriculum, Semester/term-based Research, low cost, Accessibility for PUIs, Rapid Experimental Turnaround, educational value
Received: 23 Mar 2025; Accepted: 12 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Hall, Tackett, Jordan, Hall and Campbell. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kevin Yueju Wang, University of Pikeville, Pikeville, United States
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