Crop Biotech Update

Toolbox Enables Genome Engineering Without CRISPR

February 14, 2024

Photo Source: VIB

A new toolbox for genome engineering has been reported in Nature Communications. It contains 16 different short DNA sequences that can cause controlled and specific recombination events in any genome and overcomes some limitations of CRISPR. The toolbox was designed by experts from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology and VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology.

The toolbox, called Gene Expression Modification by LoxPsym-Cre Recombination (GEMbLeR), is highly beneficial because it avoids double-strand breaks caused by CRISPR. It has higher efficiency in diverse organisms and cell types and has the ability to insert large DNA fragments. Furthermore, GEMbLeR can potentially reduce costs compared to CRISPR. The toolbox has been tested to be effective in yeast, bacteria, and plant cells.

Read the press release from VIB.


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