How genetics is helping crops adapt to climate change

How genetics is helping crops adapt to climate change

Kylee French

BIOL-2110-001 - GENETICS Professor Guy F. Barbato October 24, 2025

    While some plants naturally thrive in the hottest deserts, the crops we rely on for food are not built to withstand such extreme conditions. Photosynthesis, the process through which plants get energy, grinds to a halt between 104 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, temperatures that are becoming more common in many of the world’s agricultural regions. If plants cannot undergo a process that they need, they will die. With global warming, our planet is heating up, and traditional farms and crop fields are increasingly facing challenges from these higher temperatures. Scientists are exploring solutions to protect our food supply, turning to genetic editing and modification to help crops adapt. By directly editing plant genomes or accelerating beneficial mutations, researchers aim to make crops more heat-tolerant. One promising approach involves transferring genes like rubisco activase from heat-adapted plants into more sensitive crops, giving them a better chance to survive in a warming world.

    To further explain, I read an article titled "Soaring Temperatures Threaten Crops, So Scientists Are Looking to Alter the Plants" by Rebecca Dzombak, which provides a lot of insight into this topic. The article explains, “In plants that grow in warm climates, rubisco activase seems to work better at helping rubisco function. Transferring that molecule from hot-climate plants to cool-climate plants can help cool-climate plants adapt to heat” (Dzombak 2025). This is one way scientists are working to help crops withstand rising temperatures. While this method is promising, it is also challenging because it involves directly altering plant genetics. Another approach involves modifying the plant’s temperature-sensing system. As the article states, “Instead of plants having discrete ‘thermometers,’ temperature sensing could be spread out in many plant systems and proteins, the researchers say. That could provide many targets for editing for heat tolerance” (Dzombak 2025). This method directly affects the plant’s genome by targeting multiple genes and proteins that control how plants respond to heat, giving scientists several ways to enhance heat tolerance.

    In conclusion, this research shows just how powerful genetics can be in solving real world problems. By directly editing plant genomes and exploring natural genetic diversity, scientists are giving crops the tools to survive in hotter climates. I think this study is truly amazing, because if we continue to make progress, it could not only protect our food supply but also improve crop yields. Genetics is no longer just a field of theory; it is becoming a practical tool to address some of the planet’s most urgent challenges.

References

Dzombak, R. (2025, July 12). Soaring Temperatures Threaten Crops, So Scientists Are Looking to Alter the Plants. New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2025, from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/climate/plants-climate-change-photosynthesis.html?searchResultPosition=1

Why the strange Body?

 

Scientists have had a very basic understanding and research information in regards to giraffes. In this article by Amanda Heidt, a deeper look as to explanations of a giraffe's long neck adaption was shown. Giraffe bones were shown to grow way faster than any other animals that they were compared to. The Ruminant Genome Project was launched to study the genomes of a number amount of giraffes. When diving into the common relatives of the giraffes there were around 500 genes that were uniquely specified to giraffes. One gene which had stood out was the FGFRL1, which when tested, shown to explain the very dense material that the bones of the giraffes were made from and allows the giraffes to protected against lifelong high blood pressure.  With further testing regarding this gene, there's hope it can help develop treatments for high blood pressure in humans. This article by Liu Chang further elaborates on how exceptional hypertension resistance and higher bone mineral density due to the FGFRL1 gene. 

Malaria Breakthrough

Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114115920.htm
Related Article: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/malaria/index.html

Malaria is a disease that despite the many people working on it, still affects more than 400,000 people. It is transmitted through mosquitoes who are infected with a parasite, and can be found in a variety of areas.

Researchers have carried out a study where they took the genome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium, and deleted parts of it to see what it would do to the parasite's life cycle. They used this on 1300 different genes. The results of this was analyzed to find metabolic pathways for the parasite, allowing them to make predictions on which genes are important for malaria control.

I think this is impressive, they put in a lot of work to target 1300 genes, I would be very interested in hearing about what they do with the information they received from this experiment. Likely, they will be able to find use for this information within the next few years.

Predicting & Identifying Elite Athletes Through Genetic Testing.

Imagine yourself looking at your genetic code to see and find out if you have an advance athletic gene. Well, it can happen. A recent article in USA Today has found a new trend that hit the athletic sport companies. A simple genetic test to determine who has an advantage in becoming a sport athlete. In addition, you are able know what injuries you are prone to and which fitness workouts are best suited for your body physique. So, how does this work? Scientists have been researching genetics for sometime now and discovered that sport and fitness athletes have a few similar genes connected to their athletic performance. A saliva sample is observed to see into an athlete's genetic code and to specifically find if the gene ACTN3, which is linked to a distinct protein to help muscles powerfully contract at high speeds, is in the athlete's genetic code. The companies that look into an athlete's genetic code have claim that these athletes are more likely to be proficient in either power or endurance type of sports like football and soccer. Teams have been using these genetic tests to find out if their athletes has what it takes to be skillful at the sport. However, scientists all over the world are skeptical about this claim and are just simply saying that this genetic discovery doesn't fully determine a person's capability of becoming an elite athlete. Years ago, the Human Genome Project had found that the human genome has about 20,000 genes but only about 200 has been identified to have a correlation with fitness performance. Also, we are not certain that there are only 200 genes associated with fitness, we predict that there could be many more. Dr. Robert Green, a Harvard geneticist, says " The notion that [athletic genetic testing companies] are somehow tailoring recommendations on the basis of your DNA is nonsense". In the end, it is questionable to believe someone's athletic performance through genes but what if the ACTN3 gene is an athlete's key to success?

A New Organism is Created With The Smallest Genome

The J. Craig Venter Institute in California has created an artificial species that has the smallest number of genes of any currently living organism. The organism named Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn3.0 has only 473 genes and 149 of those genes do not contain any known function. This species comes years after Venter's first creation in 1995, the Mycoplasma genitalium which had 525 genes. The current creation grows faster than the original, which allows for easier lab usage. It was created in part through adding and removing genes, using CRISPR tools until life could be sustained and reproduction was viable for the species. The goal of this project is to further our limited understanding of biology and the genes needed to sustain life. Biologists are able to learn more about editing and customizing cells with this invention of this artificial species, which could have a positive impact on drug development and alternative energy sources in the future. Biology research has improved vastly over the past decade and I believe this research will open doors in the medical field. It may become possible to grow organisms that can be used to fight disease and help reduce the issue of resistance in the population.

Article: http://discovermagazine.com/2017/janfeb/5-biologists-create-organism-with-smallest-genome

Dog DNA study maps breeds across the world

Scientists have analyzed 161 breeds of dog's DNA. Over the past 20 years, dogs have been bred to do different things, depending on what they are needed for. Dogs used to be used for hunting and gathering, now there are many hybrid breeds that are available. Dogs origins can be traced to two basic places in the world the United Kingdom or the Mediterranean. Many dogs like the mastiff has not changed genetically over the years. This article was very interesting to read. Dogs are very important in the world and majority of people have them. Now with all these different dog breeds breeding together, this genetic mapping of them will allow us to better understand what dogs are good for what area.

Related Article: http://genome.cshlp.org/content/19/3/500.short

Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/dog-dna-study-maps-breeds-across-world

The genome and HVC

 The only way to better comprehend how any germ or virus interact with the human body is to repeat and study a large sum of people with the certain characteristic. Researches at the University of Oxford want to provide new information of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and how the genome interacts and changes the virus. The only way to reveal more information is to study deeply within the material. A 500 patient study found within the genome two places where genetic variation in calibration with the immune system. This new found information will allow scientist to create treatments that better highlight the type of HCV that person. 

I think this information is a great step in helping patients suffering from the symptoms of HCV, they will be provided with treatments that are better suited for their specific virus. This like many other genetic mutations are coming to light, but without the technology to read the genome scientists would have no idea how to better help the lives of their patients. 

http://www.scienceandtechnologyresearchnews.com/genetic-study-reveals-hepatitis-c-interacts-humans/

https://scicasts.com/channels/genomics/2032-pharmacogenomics/12473-genetic-study-reveals-how-hepatitis-c-interacts-with-human-body/

Origins of Dog Breeds

In recent research, scientist were able to put together a family tree of all the dog breeds, discovering the 161 canine breeds. The research began when researches began to explore the genomes of the dogs and wanting to understand how the dogs breeds came so diverse and so many breeds exist now. The team gathered DNA samples of dogs. Samples included  dogs from competitions, shows, and the public, and dog owners had no problem being involved. Along with studying the origin of the dog breeds, this also gives researches a better understand of mutations and diseases. I think it is great that researchers are looking into the origin of dogs more in depth and taking the time to understand mutations and diseases that have been occurring more often in dogs. Dogs are now more than just  hunting and nursery tools, that have become part of our families, and learning the origin of our four legged friends is amazing.

New article

Dog genome research

Calling all the Crown-of-Thorns

The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish is known as the "Demon Starfish"in Japan and with good reason these predators swarm coral reefs with their spawning events creating colonies with up to several million individuals which in turn devour the reef. This has become a huge environmental concern so efforts are being made to understand how it is that they communicate so efficiently to bring so many individuals together from Australia to Okinawa, and possibly control this invasive species. For this study researchers at University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology teamed up and originally found that the starfish looked at in these two regions shared identical genetic material, meaning that the same species could be found 5000kms on the other side of the equator. The researchers then continued by identifying the water borne molecules the starfish used to communicate, then looking at genetic material that was decoded from two separate individuals from each region. In order to identify the genes collected they preformed an experiment where two Crown-of-Thorns were put in a Y-shaped aquatic maze at separate ends and fed the one at the shorter branch of the Y with water collected form an aggregation of the starfish, as the other one moved towards this branch they suspected that they could find the molecules in the water that induced the starfish to gather. The water was then analyzed and mapped to the starfishes genomic data, and they were able to confirm that the molecules originated from the Crown-of-Thorns because the scientists now had the full genome. Ultimately they exposed 26 specific genes that could take part of production of the 107 water borne communicating signals. The researchers also found that the genome included 750 genes that code for proteins connected to their version of a sense of smell. All of this information could help scientist potentially disrupt communication on a large scale to protect reefs and enforce biological control. I think this is important because it is an environmental issue considering how quickly coral reefs are diminishing and it gives more insight on evolutionary developmental biology.

For more information on biological control: https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/what.php
Article : https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170405131003.htm

Where do flowers come from? Shedding light on Darwin’s 'abominable mystery'

Scientist have partially solved the origin of flowering plants. A team from the Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale questioned the appearance of a structure as complex as the flower over the course of evolution. We know that flowering plants provide our food and contribute color to the plant world. Flowering plants appeared only 150 million years ago. They were directly preceded by a group known as the gymnosperms. the flower contains the male organs and the female organs, surrounded by petals and sepals, while the ovules, instead of being naked, are protected within the pistil. They wondered how was nature able to invent the flower, a structure so different from that of cones. The researchers found genes similar to those responsible for the formation of flowers, and which are organized according to the same hierarchy. The fact that a similar gene has been found in flowering plants and their gymnosperm cousins indicates that this is inherited from their common ancestor.
I found this amazing because we see flowering plants everyday, but we never question how or why they are here in the first place. We know that they help give the world a better look by there ravishing colors, yet we have no clue how they came to be like so. I feel like this study will make more scientist to go back in time and draw out the genetics and history of the common ancestor of modern day flowers. 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170224093531.htm

http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/2883.htm

A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes

A Genetic Fix to Put the Taste Back in Tomatoes

Everyone knows that Jersey grows the best tomatoes, and because a lot of us grow and buy our tomatoes locally, you may not be aware of the steady decline in taste of supermarket tomatoes. Dr. Klee, a researcher of the genetics and biochemistry of flavor, has locates the genes that produce the flavor chemicals that are lacking in most supermarket tomatoes. In addition to this, he has found “wild varieties of tomatoes that possess better versions of these genes”.  A team of his colleagues is now working to breed a hybrid that will put most of the taste back into supermarket tomatoes. During the research process, Klee and his team have sequenced the full genome of over 400 different varieties of tomatoes. Even so, some people think that it’s too late, and we will never be able to restore the flavor to supermarket tomatoes! Although un-flavorful tomatoes might not change the world, it is important to realize how genetics affects every aspect of our world. It is interesting to learn how we can intervene and manipulate the genetics of a given organism to give us the product that we really want!  

Find out why Jersey tomatoes are so awesome: https://paxarcana.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/why-jersey-tomatoes-are-so-awesome/