Plants That Practice Genetic Engineering

People often avoid purchasing plants that were genetically modified. However, plants were found to modify their own genes from one species to another. These plants are found to "learn" specific features that help them thrive through other plants. For example, ferns were found to acquire a specific gene that allowed them to sense light like a hornwort would. Research done by Kathleen M. Pryer and other scientists studied DNA from a vast number of fern species to further investigate this phenomenon. These ferns were found to have acquired a light sensing protein along with the gene called neochromes. Pryer's mission was aimed towards finding where the neochrome oringinated. Pryer's colleagues have found that because the hornwort and fern had grown in close contact, the fern was able to pick up the neochrome gene and pass it on to other ferns.  

If this process of genetically engineering plants could be isolated, many species may have longer lifespans or ability to survive in many conditions. Gardeners would be able to grow plants that are not native to their area, and be able to thrive in those conditions. This phenomenon has solely been found between ferns and hornworts but scientists suggest that there is bound to be many more cases. 

Primary Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/science/plants-that-practice-genetic-engineering.html

Secondary Source: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/education/summary.htm