The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) concerning plant genetic engineering for energy applications, with the goal of advancing tools to enhance plant genetic modifications. This RFI aims to solicit feedback from a broad range of stakeholders, including plant scientists, biologists, and engineers, to inform the development of a future program that could accelerate the pace of innovation in plant genetics.

The focus of the potential program is on advancing technologies that: 1) speed up the process of plant genetic modifications, 2) expand the range of genetic alterations that can be made, and 3) improve the consistency and success of regenerating plants after genetic modification. These efforts aim to transform agriculture into a more effective contributor to energy production through biofuels, synthetic materials, and carbon capture technologies, among other applications. The RFI specifically excludes basic research aimed purely at discovery or fundamental knowledge generation, agronomic practices, and microbial approaches to plant microbiomes.

ARPA-E is interested in exploring approaches that could significantly advance plant genetic engineering to support the creation of biofuels and bio-based materials, improve carbon sequestration, and enable phytomining—using plants to extract valuable minerals. The RFI requests input on key priorities such as the plant species and traits most relevant to these energy-related applications, methods to increase genetic engineering efficiency, and ways to overcome existing technical bottlenecks in plant transformation and regeneration.

The document outlines several questions for respondents to consider, focusing on the current state of plant genetic engineering technology, existing limitations, and the potential for disruptive innovations. ARPA-E is particularly interested in hearing about advancements in transformation techniques like CRISPR, the role of artificial intelligence and robotics in enhancing genetic workflows, and how to enable broad adoption of new genetic engineering tools across both academic and industrial sectors.

Responses to the RFI are due by November 11, 2024, and should be submitted in PDF format via email. The input collected will help shape future funding programs and research priorities, but no direct funding will be provided in response to the RFI.