New Gene Editing Method Can Reveal Roles and Properties of Duplicated Plant Genes

Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) have developed a genome-scale technology that makes it possible to reveal the role of genes and traits in plants that may have been hidden by functional redundancy. This technology is expected to revolutionize the development of agricultural crops and how they are improved, as it can be applied to most crops and agricultural traits, such as increased yield and resistance to drought or pests.

The research team used CRISPR gene editing technology, as well as bioinformatics and molecular genetics, to develop a new method for locating genes responsible for specific traits in plants. According to the researchers, despite the development of genetic editing technologies such as CRISPR, several challenges limit its application to agriculture. One of them was the need to precisely identify which genes in the plant's genome are responsible for a specific desired trait to cultivate. The accepted method to address this challenge is to produce mutations and examine the changes in the plant's traits as a result of the mutation.

The current study aimed to find a solution to the problem of genetic redundancy by using CRISPR. The researchers used CRISPR to improve the control of creating mutations in plants for the purposes of agricultural improvement, and specifically to overcome the common limitation posed by genetic redundancy.

For more details, read the article on the TAU website.