Somatic embryogenesis and embryo harvesting and method and apparatus for preparing plant embryos for plant production

US7665243B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ArborGen Inc. · US

Inventors

• Narender Nehra · Chesterfield, US
• Mark Rutter · Ridgeville, US
• John Clark · Summerville, US
• Jessica S. Sage · Summerville, US
• Sydney Keith Seymour · Clemmons, US
• Timothy Stout · Summerville, US
• Ronald Winkles · Summerville, US
• George Surritte · Summerville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 28, 2006
• Grant date: Feb 23, 2010
• Expiry date: Dec 1, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12N5/0025
• WIPO field: Food chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Described herein are methods and media for facilitating somatic embryogenesis and for collecting, conditioning, and transferring the washed embryos onto a substrate and into an environment suitable for conditioning the embryos for a desired period of time so they become germination-competent for plant production. The described plant embryo cleaning apparatus and method are used for preparing multiple plant embryos for plant production. The apparatus and method can use a cleaning fluid source, a fluid-conditioning system, a fluid-delivery structure, a cleaning station, an outlet mechanism, a negative pressure source, and a controller.