Scientists combine gene editing and soil microbes to future-proof crops
Fiaz S
Crispr
The vegetables in your backyard bed could one day resist drought and pests thanks to the same gene-editing and soil-microbe tricks researchers are testing on major food crops right now.
This is a wrap-up article where scientists summarize 33 different studies about making crops tougher and healthier. The common thread is using precise gene-editing tools like CRISPR, teaming crops up with helpful soil microbes, and using computer analysis to spot which plant traits matter most for surviving heat, drought, and poor soil. The big picture is that plant scientists worldwide are racing to make food crops more resilient before climate change and population growth outpace our food supply.
Key Findings
The special issue compiles 33 articles applying nucleic acid technologies to improve climate resilience, nutrition, and yield in crops
Key techniques highlighted include CRISPR-Cas genome editing, multi-omics integration, machine learning, RNA-based regulation, and chloroplast bioengineering
Plant-microbe interactions and rhizosphere engineering are identified as emerging strategies to improve resource use efficiency and sustainability
chevron_right Technical Summary
This editorial rounds up 33 studies showing how gene editing, big-data biology, and engineered microbes are being combined to build hardier, more nutritious crops as farming faces climate change and population growth.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Recent trends in nucleic acid research in plants for future food security.
The agricultural production system is facing unprecedented pressure of climate change, human population, pressure on renewable and non-renewable resources, and elevation in both biotic and abiotic ...
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Climate adaptation in plants refers to the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms through which plants adjust to changing environmental conditions, including temperature shifts, altered precipitation patterns, and seasonal variations. Understanding these processes is essential for plant science
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