Using Gene Editing to Reduce the Risks of Climate Change

Jennifer Doudna, who won the Nobel Prize for co-inventing CRISPR gene-editing technology, recently discussed how this tool can help address climate change challenges. Speaking at a summit in UC Berkely in October 2024, she explained that CRISPR is being used to develop crops and animals better adapted to extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. Examples include plants engineered to withstand droughts and cattle bred with shorter coats to tolerate excessive heat. The USDA's chief scienist also emphasized the necessity of these advanced technologies to maintain food production without requiring significantly more land and resources. 

CRISPR offers major advantages over traditional breeding methods because it can precisely target and edit specific DNA sequences in existing plants and animals. Older techniques relied on radiation or chemicals to randomly induce mutations, which was time consuming and unpredictable. While plant genomes are actually more complex than human genomes, making it challenging to identify which genes control traits like drought resistance, researchers are making progress. As scientists begin to map out plant genetics more thoroughly, Doudna believes CRISPR will become an increasingly practical tool for developing the climate resistant crops needed for future food security. 

This article directly relates to genetic modification and gene expression. CRISPR functions by targeting specific genes within an organism's genome by targeting specific genes within an organism''s genome and either removing or editing them, which alters the proteins produced and the resulting physical traits. Rather than relying on natural selection or traditional breeding methods that take many generations, scientists can now directly modify the genetic code to produce desired characteristics like heat or drought resistance. This demonstrates how understanding the relationship between genes and traits can be applied to solve real world agricultural and environmental challenges. 

Sources: 

Chaparro, Tonio. “CRISPR in Agriculture: 2024 in Review - Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI).” Innovative Genomics Institute, 10 Dec. 2024, innovativegenomics.org/news/crispr-in-agriculture-2024/.

Temple, James. “How a Breakthrough Gene-Editing Tool Will Help the World Cope With Climate Change.” MIT Technology Review, MIT Technology Review, 2 Nov. 2024, www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/02/1106579/how-a-breakthrough-gene-editing-tool-will-help-the-world-cope-with-climate-change/.