
Congratulations to Dr. Shishanthi Jayarathna who successfully defended her thesis on May 31, 2024 in Uppsala
Congratulations to Dr. Shishanthi Jayarathna, PhD, from the Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, who successfully defended her thesis entitled “Novel Starch Types: Molecular Diversity for Future Applications” on May 31, 2024 in Uppsala. The opponent was Professor Andreas Blennow, Division of Plant Glycobiology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
In his thesis, Shishanthi studied how potato starch can be altered by targeted mutations in the starch synthesis pathway. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to create mutations in the starch branching enzyme (SBE) and granule bound starch synthase (GBSS) genes. The resulting starch was then analyzed to map its molecular and functional properties.
Mutations in SBEI and SBEII generated starches with high amylose content, while GBSS mutations resulted in a waxy starch. In combination, mutations in both SBEI and SBEII created starches consisting of amylose only. Potato lines with varying genetic backgrounds showed differences in sticking profiles, which affected film-forming properties. In addition, traditional crossing of grains with natural genetic variation produced starches with modified structures, resulting in increased fructan synthesis and a high proportion of large building blocks.
Overall, the thesis highlights how changes in the starch synthesis pathway can affect starch properties, thus paving the way for the development of tailored starches with new and improved functions.
For more information on the thesis, visit https://publications.slu.se/?file=publ/show&id=128761&lang=en
We congratulate Shishanthi on her successful defence and wish her all the best in her future career.