INCREASING SEED OIL YIELD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS FOR OILSEED CROP IMPROVEMENT. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ENHANCING SEED OIL CONTENT AND EXTRACTABILITY OF OILSEED CROPS BY METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF PHENYLPROPANOID METABOLISM. WE WILL MANIPULATE FLAVONOID AND LIGNIN BIOSYNTHESIS TO ENHANCE SEED OIL ACCUMULATION AND TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT MODIFICATION OF LIGNIN IN SEED COAT WILL FACILITATE THE EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM SEEDS. TWO EMERGING PROMISING BIOFUEL OILSEED CROPS, CAMELINA AND PENNYCRESS, WILL BE ENGINEERED BY THE CRISPR-CAS9 AND RNAI TECHNOLOGY. IMPROVEMENT OF THESE CROPS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE BIOFUEL PRODUCTION WITHOUT COMPETITION WITH FOOD SUPPLIES. OILSEEDS WITH HIGH EXTRACTABILITY AND OIL CONTENT WILL ENABLE LOCAL SEED PRESSING PRACTICE ON SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FARMS, FOSTERING RURAL ECONOMIC GROWTH. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE NEW TOOLS AND STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE USED TO INCREASE THE OIL PRODUCTION OF OTHER OILSEED CROPS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES A1103, FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF PLANT PRODUCTS; AND A1531, BIOPROCESSING AND BIOENGINEERING.