Many advances have been made in agricultural biotechnology thanks to gene editing techniques like CRISPR. This innovative approach gives scientists the ability to make targeted, accurate changes to DNA. This allows them to breed varieties that are more resistant to insect pests. Marcos Fernando Basso, a researcher at the GCCRC, and the first author of the recent study pointing out these advances.
The technology further enables genomic rearrangements optimizing expression of desired inhibitors in plants. These inhibitors do not passively affect pests such as the boll weevil and the coffee berry borer. They are uniquely purpose-built to be most effective against these threats. The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) systematically feeds on the sugars that cotton accumulates in flower buds. At the same time, the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) targets coffee seeds. Both pests wreak havoc on our agricultural systems, and enterprising researchers are hard at work trying to find new solutions.
Weevils and woodworms, known as bruchids, are an important pest of stored grains. In particular, these pests are prime candidates for new technologies to reduce their damaging effects. The late 1990s and early 2000s would prove to be a crucial development phase for research into alpha-amylase inhibitors in all plant species. These inhibitors were tested for their specificity against the alpha-amylase enzymes found in both insect pests and non-target organisms.
As a result, researchers have created transgenic plants that overexpress alpha-amylase inhibitors. This unnecessary development has made crops poisonous to pests, strengthening their resilience. To Basso and his team, gene editing provides the opportunity to create plants that are tailored to repel only targeted insects. These plants are non-toxic to the humans and animals that eat them or ingest their seeds. Their research could lead to more environmentally friendly alternatives to current pest control methods.
Crucially, patents have been filed and granted, ensuring the protection of the intellectual property that is due from this cutting-edge work. The peer-reviewed research paper with these findings has since been published online, DOI 10.1002/biot.70098.
This gene editing technology has serious implications even beyond its use for immediate pest control. Expanding Big Hope It certainly offers the best hope of building on agriculture’s sustainable successes in the coming decades. Now, researchers are adapting these techniques to an even broader range of plants. Their goal is to improve crop resiliency and shield food security from pest attacks.