“Polygenic Adaptation”
Scientists have developed a single-step gene editing process that can increase corn yields.
The new technique uses pollen to transfer the components of CRISPR-Cas9 into another plant allowing them to produce gene edited corn, a process previously hindered by the thick cell walls of many plants, such as corn and wheat. Results of the first set of experiments were published on 4 March in Nature Biotechnology.
Scientists have used pollen carrying CRISPR/Cas9 to genetically edit hard-to-edit crops like corn, opening the door to new ways to boost important crop yields.
The genome editor CRISPR has transformed many areas of biology, but using this tool to enhance certain varieties of crops such as wheat and corn remains difficult because of the plants’ tough cell walls. Now, a major agricultural company has creatively solved that problem by using pollen from one genetically modified plant to carry CRISPR’s components into another plant’s cells. The solution promises to speed the creation of better and more versatile crops, scientists say.
