** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** NATURAL PRODUCTS OR PHYTOCHEMICALS MADE BY PLANTS HAVE VALUABLE FUNCTIONS AS FOOD INGREDIENTS AND PHARMACEUTICALS, AND IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION. THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES A SPECIAL CLASS OF PLANT NATURAL PRODUCTS THAT OCCURS IN CARROTS AND IN RELATED AROMATIC HERBS SUCH AS FENNEL AND PARSLEY AS WELL AS IN SPICES SUCH AS NUTMEG. THESE PHYTOCHEMICALS, ALSO KNOWN AS PHENYLPROPENES, HAVE BEEN VALUED BY HUMANS FOR CENTURIES FOR THEIR FLAVORING, ANTIMICROBIAL, INSECTICIDAL, AND MEDICINAL ATTRIBUTES BUT ARE ALSO RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR TOXIC AND PSYCHOACTIVE EFFECTS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL UNRAVEL THE FORMATION OF THESE COMPOUNDS AND UNLOCK THEIR VAST POTENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURAL, PHARMACEUTICAL, AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS WHILE PROVIDING GENETIC INFORMATION TO CONTROL THEIR LEVELS IN SPICES AND FOOD CROPS.THE RESEARCH PROJECT WILL USE GENOMIC, BIOCHEMICAL, AND ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY THE GENES INVOLVED IN THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF PHENYLPROPENE NATURAL PRODUCTS IN CARROT AND RELATED HERBS AS WELL AS IN NUTMEG. GENE EDITING WILL BE APPLIED TO MINIMIZE BITTERNESS CAUSED BY THE PHENYLPROPENE COMPOUNDS IN CARROT ROOTS, AND ENGINEERING APPROACHES WILL BE EMPLOYED TO ENHANCE THE FORMATION OF THE COMPOUNDS IN CARROT LEAVES AS NATURAL DEFENSES AGAINST SEVERE CARROT PESTS. OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT WILL ALLOW CROP IMPROVEMENT BY TARGETED BREEDING OF CARROT AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER TO RELATED CROPS AND SPICES TO BETTER CONTROL PHENYLPROPENE LEVELS. THE WORK WILL FURTHER SET THE STAGE FOR THE SUSTAINABLE BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF THESE COMPOUNDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND AS CRITICAL CHEMICAL STARTERS FOR HIGH VALUE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.