ADVERTISEMENT
artistic rendering of CRISPR/Cas9
Ten Years of CRISPR
This month marks ten years since CRISPR-Cas9 was repurposed as a gene editing system, so we’re looking back at what has been accomplished in a decade of CRISPR editing.
Ten Years of CRISPR
Ten Years of CRISPR

This month marks ten years since CRISPR-Cas9 was repurposed as a gene editing system, so we’re looking back at what has been accomplished in a decade of CRISPR editing.

This month marks ten years since CRISPR-Cas9 was repurposed as a gene editing system, so we’re looking back at what has been accomplished in a decade of CRISPR editing.

crop engineering

nutshell, pollinators, pesticides, agriculture, crop pest, ecology & environment, insect, toxin, chemical, mammal, bird, fish, plants
US Pesticide Use Is Down, but Damage to Pollinators Is Rising
Amanda Heidt | Apr 5, 2021 | 3 min read
The use of pesticides has decreased in the US by more than 40 percent since 1992, but the emergence of more-potent chemicals means that they are far more damaging to many species.
Infographic: Open and shut
Chia-Yi Hou | Sep 1, 2019 | 1 min read
Researchers devise a way to make plants’ stomata open and close more quickly.
A Synthetic Ion Channel Makes Plants Grow Faster
Chia-Yi Hou | Sep 1, 2019 | 3 min read
Arabidopsis with guard cells modified by a light-activated potassium ion channel can open and close stomata more quickly, conserving water.
Gene-Edited Soybean Oil Makes Restaurant Debut
Carolyn Wilke | Mar 13, 2019 | 2 min read
A Minnesota-based company reports the sale of a soybean oil engineered to have greater stability and no trans-fat.
bio business
Companies Use CRISPR to Improve Crops
Ashley P. Taylor | Feb 1, 2019 | 9 min read
The agritech industry is editing plant genomes to feed a growing population, expand the produce aisle, and make tastier, more convenient food products.
USDA Will Not Regulate CRISPR-Edited Crops
Diana Kwon | Apr 1, 2018 | 2 min read
Restrictions will remain on transgenic plants, which contain artificially inserted genes from other species.
EU Advisor Recommends Regulatory Exemption for Gene Editing
Catherine Offord | Jan 18, 2018 | 2 min read
Crops produced using mutagenic technologies such as CRISPR should generally be exempt from regulatory laws governing GMOs, according to the published opinion.
45 Feet High and Rising
The Scientist | Apr 24, 2017 | 1 min read
Maize enthusiast Jason Karl aims to continue breaking his own records for the tallest corn plants ever grown.
Monsanto Buys Rights to CRISPR
Jef Akst | Sep 27, 2016 | 1 min read
The US agribusiness secures a global, nonexclusive licensing agreement from the Broad Institute to use the gene-editing technology for agricultural applications.
Opinion: GMOs Are Not “Frankenfoods”
Dov Greenbaum and Mark Gerstein | Aug 30, 2016 | 3 min read
It behooves the scientific community to reflect on the public’s “Franken-” characterization of genetically modified foods.
Gene Editing Without Foreign DNA
Ruth Williams | Feb 1, 2016 | 2 min read
Scientists perform plant-genome modifications on crops without using plasmids.
Light-Tolerant Tomatoes
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | Aug 7, 2014 | 2 min read
Upping the expression of a single gene improves the plant’s ability to withstand light and increases yields. 
A Lot to Chew On
Mary Beth Aberlin | Jun 1, 2014 | 3 min read
Complex layers of science, policy, and public opinion surround the things we eat and drink.
Better Biofuel Crops
Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville | Jul 1, 2012 | 1 min read
One way to increase biofuel production is to engineer plants that can withstand harsh environmental conditions, thereby expanding the range in which such crops can be grown. 
Biofuels by the Numbers
Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville | Jul 1, 2012 | 1 min read
Of the many available no- or low-carbon methods to harvest energy, including wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar approaches, conversion of plant biomass to liquid fuels is the most cost-effective strategy.
Growing Better Biofuel Crops
Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville | Jul 1, 2012 | 10+ min read
Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues.
Revenge of the Weeds
Amy Coombs | May 20, 2012 | 6 min read
Plant pests are evolving to outsmart common herbicides, costing farmers crops and money.
Light on Leaves
Jessica P. Johnson | Oct 1, 2011 | 1 min read
Editor’s choice in Plant Biology
Drought-tolerant corn trials underwater
Bob Grant | May 26, 2011 | 1 min read
Agribusiness giant Monsanto is finding out that it's difficult to conduct field trials of drought-resistant corn when it won't stop raining. The company hopes to launch a new line of corn seed that's been genetically engineered to thrive in drough conditions by 2013.
ADVERTISEMENT