Patents on gene-editing tools could leave poorer nations behind
Mangal H, Mathur S, Chaurasia A, Sharma S, Kumar S
Crispr
The disease-resistant tomato or drought-tough grain variety you might buy in ten years depends on whether the scientists who bred it could legally afford the gene-editing tools in the first place.
Scientists now have precise tools to edit plant DNA, letting them tweak crops for better yields, tougher stress tolerance, and richer nutrition without the slow guesswork of old-style breeding. But these tools are wrapped in a thicket of patents and licensing deals, and this review argues that researchers in poorer countries often can't afford or access them, which could slow down crop improvements that the whole world needs.
Key Findings
Reviews emerging CRISPR applications including base editing, prime editing, epigenome editing, mitochondrial genome editing, and hypercompact Cas systems for improving crop yield, stress tolerance, and nutritional quality
Identifies patent restrictions on editing systems, delivery platforms, and proprietary vectors as major barriers to research access and commercialization, especially in developing countries
Proposes solutions such as non-exclusive licensing, humanitarian licensing, indigenous technology development, and international partnerships to improve equitable global access, with specific focus on India's situation
chevron_right Technical Summary
A new review maps out how CRISPR gene-editing is reshaping food and feed crops, while warning that patents and licensing fees on the technology could lock farmers and researchers in developing countries like India out of its benefits.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
CRISPR genome editing in food and feed crops: intellectual property challenges, global accessibility, and the Indian perspective.
The ever-increasing global demand for food and feed, coupled with population growth and climate change, necessitates the development of high-yielding and stress-resilient crops. CRISPR (Clustered R...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Targeted knockout of a host peroxisomal peptidase confers field resistance to...
The corn in your grocery store and the staple food keeping millions of East African families fed is under serious threat from a viral disease that can wipe o...
Crop-improvement refers to the systematic enhancement of plant varieties through selective breeding, genetic modification, and biotechnological approaches to develop cultivars with superior agronomic, nutritional, or environmental traits. This field is essential for addressing global food security,
arrow_forward Explore topic