Method and computer program product for distinguishing and sorting seeds containing a genetic element of interest

Abstract

A method and computer program product for distinguishing and sort seeds containing a genetic element of interest from a bulk sample. In various embodiments, the present invention comprises associating a marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, exciting the seeds using an electromagnetic energy emitting device, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the marker using an evaluating device configured to excite a majority of the surface area of the seeds, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the marker. In various other embodiments, the method and computer program product may comprise associating a red fluorescent protein marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample, evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker using an evaluating device, and sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence of the red fluorescent protein marker. In some embodiments, the red fluorescent protein marker is discernable when excited by a certain energy and the evaluating step comprises exciting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest with the certain energy detecting an emission resulting at least in part from the exciting step.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for distinguishing seeds containing a genetic element of interest from a bulk sample, the method comprising:
 associating a fluorescent protein marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample;   evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the fluorescent protein marker using an evaluating device; and   sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the fluorescent protein marker.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating a plurality of supplemental markers with at least some of the seeds containing a corresponding plurality of additional genetic elements of interest of the bulk sample;   evaluating at least one of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the plurality of supplemental markers using the evaluating device; and   sorting the seeds containing the plurality of additional genetic elements of interest based on the presence or absence of the plurality of supplemental markers.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of supplemental markers are selected from the group consisting of:
 yellow fluorescent proteins;   yellow/orange fluorescent proteins;   orange fluorescent proteins;   orange/red fluorescent proteins;   red/orange fluorescent proteins;   red fluorescent proteins;   cyan fluorescent proteins; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sorting step comprises sorting the seeds at a speed of at least about 500 seeds per minute. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the red fluorescent protein marker is discernable when excited by a certain energy having a wavelength ranging from substantially about 500 nm to substantially about 580 nm, the certain energy having a peak at substantially about 550 nm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating device comprises a seed color sorter. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluating step comprises evaluating seeds for the presence of a marker using at least one image sensing device configured to differentiate between a range of normal seed emissions and an emission from the fluorescent protein marker. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the sorting step comprises dispensing the sorted individual seeds into at least one container, the container including only seeds having the fluorescent protein marker present or only seeds in which the fluorescent protein marker is absent. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising singulating individual seeds from the bulk sample using a singulating device. 
     
     
         10 . A computer program product for distinguishing seeds containing a genetic element of interest that have a fluorescent protein marker associated with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of a bulk sample, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code instructions stored therein comprising:
 a first set of instructions for evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the fluorescent protein marker using an evaluating device; and   a second set of instruction for sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the fluorescent protein marker.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the seeds of the bulk sample contain a plurality of additional genetic elements of interest associated with a corresponding plurality of supplemental markers, the computer program product further comprising:
 a third set of instructions for evaluating at least one of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the plurality of supplemental markers using the evaluating device; and   a fourth set of instructions for sorting the seeds containing the plurality of additional genetic elements of interest based on the presence or absence of the plurality of supplemental markers.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product according to  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of supplemental markers are selected from the group consisting of:
 yellow fluorescent proteins;   yellow/orange fluorescent proteins;   orange fluorescent proteins;   orange/red fluorescent proteins;   red/orange fluorescent proteins;   red fluorescent proteins;   cyan fluorescent proteins; and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the second set of computer instructions for sorting comprises sorting the seeds at a speed of at least about 500 seeds per minute. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , wherein the fluorescent protein marker is discernable when excited by a certain energy having a wavelength ranging from substantially about 500 nm to substantially about 580 nm, the certain energy having a peak at substantially about 550 nm. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , wherein the evaluating device comprises a seed color sorter. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , wherein said first set of instructions comprises evaluating seeds for the presence of a marker using at least one image sensing device configured to differentiate between a range of normal seed emissions and an emission from the fluorescent protein marker. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , wherein said second set of instructions comprises dispensing the sorted individual seeds into at least one container, the container including only seeds having the fluorescent protein marker present or only seeds in which the fluorescent protein marker is absent. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product according to  claim 10 , further comprising a fifth set of instructions for controlling a singulating device configured for singulating individual seeds from the bulk sample. 
     
     
         19 . A method for distinguishing seeds containing a genetic element of interest from a bulk sample, the method comprising:
 associating a marker with at least some of the seeds containing a genetic element of interest of the bulk sample;   exciting the seeds using an electromagnetic energy emitting device;   evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the marker using an evaluating device; and   sorting the seeds containing a genetic element of interest based on the presence or absence of the marker,   wherein the electromagnetic energy emitting device is configured to excite a majority of the surface area of the seeds.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein exciting the seeds using an electromagnetic energy emitting device comprises exciting the seeds using at least one illuminating device configured to illuminate a majority of the surface area of the seeds. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample comprises evaluating at least some of the seeds of the bulk sample using at least one image sensing device configured to receive emissions from a majority of the surface area of the seeds. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 associating one or more supplemental markers with at least some of the seeds containing a corresponding plurality of additional genetic elements of interest of the bulk sample;   evaluating at least one of the seeds of the bulk sample for the presence or absence of the supplemental markers using the evaluating device; and   sorting the seeds containing the plurality of additional genetic elements of interest based on the presence or absence of the supplemental markers.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the marker and the supplemental markers are selected from the group consisting of:
 green fluorescent proteins;   green/yellow fluorescent proteins;   yellow fluorescent proteins;   yellow/orange fluorescent proteins;   orange fluorescent proteins;   orange/red fluorescent proteins;   red/orange fluorescent proteins;   red fluorescent proteins;   cyan fluorescent proteins; and combinations thereof.