Molecular and functional characterisation of an osmotin gene from the resurrection plant Tripogon loliiformis

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperature are significant challenges hindering the capacity of agriculture to meet the food demands of an increasing global population. This thesis characterises an osmotin gene (TlOsm) from a naturally-tolerant plant for use in the development of stress-adapted crops. The efficacy of TlOsm to improve stress tolerance was assessed and compared with two osmotins from stress-sensitive (rice) species. The results demonstrate the potential of TlOsm to improve tolerance against cold, drought, and salinity stress and highlighted the higher efficacy of genes from naturally-tolerant species