More Protein in Soybean Plants

Genetics professor Eve Wurtele and adjunct assistant professor Ling Li, discovered that by adding a gene known as QQS into soybean plants, that it would increase the amount of protein in the plants by 30 to 60 percent.  This gene, QQS, is found in Arabidopsis, which is a tiny, flowering plant within the mustard family.  The sequence in the gene QQS is unlike any other plant gene and does not provide any information as to its function.  However, when the gene was neutralized the researchers could deduce that the gene was used in deposition, or regulating starch accumulation.  This gene is also unique in that it only has 59 amino acids, when in a Arabidopsis, the median gene size has 346 amino acids.  Further research shows that QQS may be involved more in changing the Arabidopsis compostition in general and not directly involved with starch synthesis.  This research was tested by transferring the gene into the soybean plant, and the result was that the soybean had increased protein production.

The importance of this discovery is that this could help people everywhere, especially poor nations and vegetarians get more protein in their diet.  This research could also continue into studying other genes whose functions are not yet understood.  Personally, I used to be against genetically modified foods, but this technology is becoming crucial in sustaining our rapidly growing population.