Mutagenesis

• Mutation induction of M. acuminata 'Grand Naine' and 'Calcutta 4' (IAEA, USM)
• Molecular and phenotypic characterization of mutants (IAEA)
• Initial development of a TILLING platform (IAEA)
• Isolation of gene knockout mutants from M. acuminata 'Calcutta 4'. Searching for genes related to black Sigatoka resistance (NARO, IAEA)

Transformation

• Genetic transformation of Musa 'Grande Naine', 'Currare' and 'Lady finger' with antifungal genes and genes coding for human antigens (CINVESTAV).
• Development of a robust plastid transformation protocol for Cavendish bananas (FABI)
• Obtention of suspension cell cultures of M. acuminata 'Grand Naine' and 'Ney Poovan' (IIHR)
• Production and maintenance of embryogenic cell suspension from different banana varieties (EMBRAPA)
• Transformation with cell cycle as a component of isolating homologs for these genes in Musa (NARO)
• High-throughput analysis of T-DNA flanking inserts for functional genomic applications (KUL)
• High frequency transformation system for Musa using our anti-apoptosis genes (TAMU)

Gene isolation and cloning

• Isolation of the full-length sequences of ACC oxidase gene from Musa Robusta and 'Ney Poovan' (registration in GenBank) (IIHR)
• Isolation and cloning of gene-near CpG islands. Establishment of CpG island libraries for application in DArT technique
• Isolation of drought-related genes (UL)
• Cloning of four MADS-box genes hat could be involved in control fruit ripening in musa (ARO)
• Cloning of disease resistance gene candidates of the serine/threonine kinase class, from the banana 'Tuu Gia' (CICY)
• four MADS-box genes (that could be involved in control fruit ripening in musa) cloned (ARO)
• Cloning of disease resistance gene candidates of the serine/threonine kinase class, from the banana 'Tuu Gia' (CICY)
• Isolation of disease-resistance related genes and of bananas and markers for in vitro off-type-controlling loci. (CWRU)
  Characterization of Resistance Genes Analogs (RGAs) in bananas (EMBRAPA, UCB, CIRAD)
• Cloning of Truncted gene of BSV (banana streak virus) and AFP (anti-freeze protein) genes (SCAU)
• Cloning of calcium signaling and chlorophyll degradation related genes such as calcium dependent protein kinase, Ca-ATPase, chlorophyllase from banana fruit (SCAU)
• Validation of putative gene promoters (EMBRAPA)
• Isolation and characterization of promoters with tissue specific gene expression (Bioveluz)
• Isolation and characterization of flowering time gene analogous in Musa (AAB) (Bioveluz)

Promoters

• Development of a gene and promoter tagging platform: characterization of novel promoters and genes (KUL)
• Analyses of the regulatory sequence of ACC synthase gene from Musa cv Robusta . Clonage of this promoter sequence into a promoterless vector (IIHR)