Israeli Researchers Develop Scalable CRISPR-Based Gene Editing to Improve Tomato Traits

Researchers from Tel Aviv University have developed a genetic editing method to influence various traits in tomato plants, including the fruit's taste and shape. The technology can be applied to a wide variety of crop species and may be used to cultivate new and improved plant varieties to support food security.

New research is revolutionizing crop improvement by overcoming the limitations of traditional gene editing. While genetic variation is crucial for breeding and CRISPR-Cas9 offers precise gene editing, its widespread application in crops has faced scalability issues. To address this, a team of researchers designed a massive library of 15,804 unique single guide RNAs (sgRNAs), each targeting multiple genes within the same gene families. This approach allowed them to generate roughly 1,300 independent CRISPR lines. From these lines, they successfully identified mutants with various desirable traits, including those related to fruit development, flavor, nutrient uptake, and pathogen response.

The researchers also developed CRISPR-GuideMap, a novel sgRNA mapping system that utilizes a double barcode tagging system and deep sequencing. This platform integrates precise gene targeting with advanced sequencing, streamlining the identification of gene functions and expanding the scope of functional characterization from CRISPR libraries. This multi-targeted CRISPR library, initially developed for Arabidopsis to address genetic redundancy by simultaneously editing multiple gene family members, has now been successfully adapted for tomato crops.

For more details, read the article in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.