KIT Professor Uses CRISPR to Combine Genes in Crops

Molecular biologist Professor Holger Puchta from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is using CRISPR-Cas gene editing method to freely combine genes in crops, a dream come true for the founder of genetics, Gregor Mendel. Professor Puchta's work will also help agricultural crops to better adapt to global warming.

Professor Puchta and his team at KIT's Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institut of Plant Sciences (JKIP), were the first to demonstrate that not only single genes but entire chromosomes can be modified this way using molecular scissors. To establish technologies for the specific restructuring of plant genomes, Professor Puchta received funding from the Reinhart Koselleck Project by DFG. The project aims to freely combine genes in crops and to make Gregor Mendel's dream come true.

Professor Puchta explains that molecular scissors can modify plants so they can better cope with the heat brought by global warming. He added that the method can also make plants more resistant to diseases and pests, reducing the need for pesticides. By modifying the arrangement of genes on chromosomes, molecular scissors can freely combine plant traits. “In this way, crops can inherit several desired properties in combination, such as heat and salt resistance,” Professor Puchta explains.

For more details, read the press release from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.