Gene edit makes one sorghum plant do two jobs
Ge F, Zhang W, Zhao K, Wodajo B, Xia R
Crispr
A single tweaked gene could let farmers grow one crop that feeds people, livestock, and biofuel production instead of planting separate grain and sweet sorghum varieties.
Sorghum normally comes in two types: one bred for dry stalks and grain, another for juicy, sugary stalks used as syrup or animal feed. Researchers found the gene responsible for keeping stalks dry, then used CRISPR to disable it, and the plant grew sweet, juicy stems while still producing grain. That means a single sorghum plant can now serve as both a food crop and a sugar or forage source.
Key Findings
Researchers identified and knocked out the 'Dry' gene in sorghum using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
Loss of the Dry gene converted dry stalk tissue into juicy, sugar-accumulating stems
Edited plants retained normal grain production, creating a single dual-purpose grain-and-sugar sorghum line
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to switch off a single gene in sorghum, turning ordinary dry-stalked grain sorghum into a plant with juicy, sugar-rich stems, allowing farmers to harvest both grain and sweet biomass from the same crop.
Species Mentioned
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