Abstract: In traditional plant breeding approaches, chemical mutagenesis may be utilized to introduce nucleotide substitutions at random in the genome of a plant, i.e. without possibilities to control the sites of nucleotide changes. Because of genome complexities, the statistical probability is extremely little when it comes to finding a predetermined nucleotide substitution. The present invention, however, demonstrates how a novel, alternative use of digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), preferably droplet dPCR (ddPCR), is developed to exploit finding of specific nucleotide substitutions in mutated genes. The entire platform comprises a screening method with a library of mutagenized organisms, digital PCR-based systems and a set-up to propagate and analyze identified, mutated organisms.

Abstract: The invention relates to barley plants having a high ?-amylase activity. The barley plants of the invention may for example carry a mutation in one or more ?-amylase promoters, in the HRT gene, in the HBL12 gene and/or in the WRKY38 gene. The invention further provides plant products prepared from said barley plants.

Abstract: In traditional plant breeding approaches, chemical mutagenesis may be utilized to introduce nucleotide substitutions at random in the genome of a plant, i.e. without possibilities to control the sites of nucleotide changes. Because of genome complexities, the statistical probability is extremely little when it comes to finding a predetermined nucleotide substitution. The present invention, however, demonstrates how a novel, alternative use of digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), preferably droplet dPCR (ddPCR), is developed to exploit finding of specific nucleotide substitutions in mutated genes. The entire platform comprises a screening method with a library of mutagenized organisms, digital PCR-based systems and a set-up to propagate and analyze identified, mutated organisms.