CRISPR-Cas9 Possible ‘Savior' for Rice Crops

A study published in CABI Reviews takes a look at gene editing techniques and suggests that the CRISPR-Cas method could be a possible ‘savior' for rice crops threatened by climate change and high food demand.

The review highlights that while rice is one of the most consumed cereals worldwide and feeds about three billion people, climate-induced abiotic and biotic stresses have affected the production and quality of rice crops. Dr. Antonio Costa de Oliveira from the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil, and a team of fellow scientists found that the CRISPR-Cas tool was efficient in gene editing in studies related to yield, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and rice grain quality.

Dr. Costa de Oliveira also said that biotechnological tools, such as transgenics and genome editing, can aid in meeting future demands and added that genome-edited plants are more accepted because they are transgene-free.

For more details, read the article in CABI Digital Library.