Genome Editing Used to Create Disease-Resistant Rice

A recent study published in the journal Nature on June 14 reports that a group of scientists, including researchers from the University of California, Davis, and an international team, have successfully utilized the genome-editing tool CRISPR-Cas to develop rice plants that are resistant to diseases.

In a recent study published in Nature, it was revealed that researchers, including those from the University of California, Davis, and an international team, have successfully used genome editing with CRISPR-Cas to create disease-resistant rice plants.

Unearthing a Promising Leaf Mutant for Agricultural Advancements

The study’s co-lead author, Guotian Li, made an initial breakthrough while working as a postdoctoral scholar in Pamela Ronald’s lab at UC Davis. During his research, Li came across a mutant strain, referred to as a lesion mimic mutant, which displayed dark patches on its leaves. Ronald, who is also a co-lead author and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, emphasized the importance of Li’s discovery in improving the gene’s potential for practical use by farmers.

The origins of this breakthrough can be traced back to Ronald’s lab, where a collection of 3,200 distinct rice strains were created and sequenced, each containing various mutations. Among these strains, Guotian identified one that exhibited resistance to bacterial infection, in addition to the dark patches. However, this particular strain had an extremely small size and low yields.

Ronald explained that while “lesion mimic” mutants have been identified in the past, their practical utility to farmers has been limited due to their low productivity.

Harnessing CRISPR-Cas for Disease-Resistant Crop Evolution

The new rice variety, developed by modifying a recently discovered gene, demonstrated both high yields and resistance to the fungal infection responsible for the severe rice disease known as rice blast. This is significant as rice is a vital crop that provides sustenance for approximately half of the global population.

The study’s co-lead author, Guotian Li, made an initial breakthrough while working as a postdoctoral scholar in Pamela Ronald’s lab at UC Davis. During his research, Li came across a mutant strain, referred to as a lesion mimic mutant, which displayed dark patches on its leaves.

Read The Original Article on PHYS.

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