Gene editing tools like CRISPR are revolutionizing plant science by allowing precise and targeted improvements to plant traits, such as wood quality, disease resistance, or drought tolerance.
Gene editing tools like CRISPR are revolutionizing plant science by allowing precise and targeted improvements to plant traits, such as wood quality, disease resistance, or drought tolerance. However, in many cases, the gene-editing ‘machinery’ is permanently integrated into the plant's DNA, creating regulatory obstacles to using the plants.
In annual crops like maize or rice, this problem is often solved by crossing plants to remove the foreign DNA. But trees like poplar take years to reach maturity, rendering this approach slow and possibly leading to the loss of desirable traits. Now, researchers led by Prof. Wout Boerjan (VIB-UGent) have developed a new method that prevents this issue.
Read More: Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie
Photo Credit: Hans via Pixabay
