黑料吃瓜资源

The Nobel Prize-winning gene editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 is revolutionizing agriculture and adding a new dimension to the policy debate over how governments classify GMOs (genetically modified organisms). In a break from the European Union, which historically has tightly regulated genetically modified foods, the UK government has proposed regulating CRISPR crops far less stringently than previous types of genetic manipulations. For example, the UK is considering allowing CRISPR crops to be sold without special labels that are required for other 鈥淕MOs.鈥� What the UK decides will have broad policy implications for agriculture and beyond. Recently, 黑料吃瓜资源 Professor and HHMI Investigator Zach Lippman shared his scientific insights on CRISPR crops with the BBC podcast, The Food Programme.

Lippman supports the less stringent regulation. He says 鈥渢here are massive amounts of natural DNA mutations that exist鈥� and CRISPR simply accelerates natural breeding processes that farmers and breeders have used since the beginning of crop cultivation. He explains that the new technology requires scientists to introduce two things into plants: the 鈥淐as9 molecular scissors鈥� and a specially designed bit of guide RNA that targets the molecular scissors to the desired piece of native DNA to make the desired change, or mutation. 鈥淥nce these two materials do their work and introduce the desired gene mutation, that tool is no longer needed,鈥� says Lippman. Afterward, crop researchers do what any breeder would do: mate the CRISPR plant with an unmodified plant. Within a generation the CRISPR tools are bred out of the plant 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e only left with the desirable mutation.鈥�

Accelerating climate change makes innovation in agriculture ever more important. Lippman鈥檚 lab is using CRISPR to make crops like tomato and their relatives more productive and adaptable to new growth conditions. For example, he designed tomatoes that can grow in urban environments.

But before these high-tech crops can make a big difference to our food supply, Lippman acknowledges that regulators and the public need to understand more about CRISPR science. 鈥淭he first step is going to be acceptance by consumers,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 understand the apprehension people have. It is very different. But you also have to think about how remarkable and exciting the technology is for expanding the types of crops we can consume.鈥�

Written by: Eliene Augenbraun, Creative Director | [email protected] | 516-367-8455

Citation

BBC Radio 4/The Food Programme: Genome editing and the future of food with Dan Saladino