Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Suppress Agricultural Pests and Improve Crop Yields
Recent advances in gene editing technology have allowed researchers to create new tools to help combat agricultural pests. A team of researchers have developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene suppression technique to target and suppress the genes of certain agricultural pests. This approach, if successful, could reduce crop losses and damage caused by pests, with minimal or no harm to the environment. The team has already tested the technique on the Mediterranean fruit fly, with promising results. By using the CRISPR/Cas9-based gene suppression, the researchers were able to reduce the expression of certain genes in the fruit fly, effectively suppressing the development of certain traits that allowed the fly to survive and reproduce. The research team is now looking to develop the technique to target other agricultural pests, in an effort to reduce crop damage around the world.
source: Phys.org