PubMed · 2026-04-20
Researchers review how CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tools can be deployed to fight geminiviruses, a family of plant viruses responsible for devastating crop losses globally. The paper also examines next-generation high-fidelity editing variants that reduce unintended genetic changes, making the approach safer and more practical for real-world crop protection.
CRISPR/Cas9 can directly target conserved regions of geminivirus DNA, disrupting viral replication and reducing disease symptoms in infected plants
High-fidelity Cas9 variants substantially lower the rate of unintended off-target cuts in the host plant genome compared to standard Cas9, improving safety for crop applications
Multiplexed guide RNA strategies targeting multiple viral sequences simultaneously can confer broader resistance against diverse geminivirus species and strains
