Crop Biotech Update

Multiplex Gene Editing Boosts Dietary Fiber Content in Barley

March 13, 2024

Scientists used multiplex gene editing to produce barley mutants that have higher grain weight or dietary fiber content. Their research may help breed barley with better health benefits.

Barley is a widely cultivated cereal around the world. Barley and other cereal grains contain resistant starch (RS) that boosts gut health and minimizes glycemic index. RS is positively associated with amylose, but increasing the amylose levels in crops is difficult.

Researchers from China and Australia used CRISPR-Cas9 on barley to create single to triple mutations that will help boost RS content. Their results showed that the ssIIassIVa, sbeIIasbeIIb, and ssIIasbeIIasbeIIb mutants have higher levels of dietary fiber and amylose content compared with the single ssIIa mutant. These mutants demonstrate great potential for the production of healthy food items.

Read the article on Plant Biotechnology Journal for more information.


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