Latest news with #Agrobacteriumtumefaciens
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Researchers announce game-changing breakthrough on quest to create new-age tree species: 'This is crucial'
Scientists have made a breakthrough in their mission to develop more sustainable, resilient gene-edited trees with a new technique that utilizes biotechnology to improve the genes of poplar trees without leaving behind any foreign DNA. According to a research summary from the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, the development brings the world one step closer to eco-friendly forestry, as many countries regulate genetically modified organisms. Transgene-free editing, a process that introduces desired genetic changes into an organism without integrating the material used to make the edits, could simplify compliance and improve the efficiency and speed of breeding cycles. For example, researchers noted that in crops such as maize and rice, a common solution to removing foreign DNA introduced during gene editing is to crossbreed the modified plants with non-modified plants, leaving behind only the desired modifications. This method, however, can be time consuming for trees that take years to mature, including poplars. The team of scientists, led by professor Wout Boerjan, addressed this problem by using Agrobacterium tumefaciens — a bacterium that plays a crucial role in creating transgenic plants — to introduce CRISPR molecules into poplar cells, allowing for temporary gene editing without integrating foreign DNA. This technique not only ensures that the trees' desired traits remain intact but also accelerates the development of gene-edited plants that can bring advantages to both the environment and the economy. For instance, the overheating planet is threatening forests worldwide through increased wildfire risks, droughts, pest and disease outbreaks, and a decline in biodiversity. Gene-edited trees, though they sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, offer numerous benefits, including increased growth rates, improved wood quality, enhanced disease resistance, and greater resilience to environmental stressors. Our burgeoning biobased economy — which utilizes renewable biological resources instead of relying on fossil fuels that pollute the planet — also benefits from gene-edited crops, as they grow faster and produce higher yields, leading to greater profits and fewer environmental impacts. The study, published in the journal New Phytologist, showed promising findings. Lennart Hoengenaert, the first author, said that nearly 50% of the poplar shoots had no foreign DNA after scientists employed a cutting-edge technique to scan their genomes. "This is crucial," he explains, "because it brings these gene-edited trees closer to being treated like conventionally bred plants under upcoming European regulations." Would you live in a house made of fungus? Heck yes No way Maybe Only if you paid me Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Boerjan added, "This method offers a clear and practical path to creating trees that are more sustainable, climate-resilient, and easier to regulate." Scientists have made other breakthroughs in their quest to develop crops of the future, with one team using CRISPR to create more nutritious lettuce that requires less land. Others have employed biotechnology to develop weather-resistant rice and wheat, which will be crucial to feeding growing populations. If you want to help forests thrive and contribute to sustainability efforts, consider eating more plant-based foods, as they require significantly less land to grow than animal products and offer numerous health benefits as well. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
28-02-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Country diary: Admiring the galls of this silver birch
As the light began to fade, we loitered on the path, hoping to spot marsh harriers drifting in to roost in the reedbeds. I was soon distracted by a family party of long-tailed tits foraging in a stand of silver birches, their lollipop stick tails flitting like leaves blowing in a breeze. As I followed the ripple of movement through the bare branches, I noticed that one mature tree was studded with witches' broom galls. Each emerging from a single point on a branch, these dense clusters of twigs resembled scrappily constructed pigeon nests or, as the name suggests, traditional besom broom heads. They can be caused by insects, mites, fungi or bacteria, but the most common culprit affecting birches is Taphrina betulina, a fungal pathogen. This fungus produces specific chemicals that trigger numerous dormant buds to flush. These then grow rapidly, eventually developing into densely branched spheres. Infected twigs have onion-shaped swellings at the base of their side shoots. In early summer, asci (specialised sac-like structures in which spores develop) will form on the underside of the leaves. These contain hyaline (transparent) spores, which begin to germinate before being shot out into the air to disperse and infect new plant tissue. As the fungus overwinters in the bark and buds, witches' brooms can survive for many years, growing up to a metre in diameter. The largest of this tree's specimens were about the size of footballs, but higher in the canopy, a thick bough had been completely engulfed by a different type of distorted growth – an enormous crown gall. The knobbly swelling was the pale brown of dried mud, with a rough, corky appearance. The damper, north-facing side had been colonised by emerald green cushion moss and lacy eau de nil lichen. Crown galls are essentially benign tumours, occurring following infection by the soil-borne bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which injects its DNA into the tree's cells, causing uncontrolled growth. Both of these oddities are parasites. Though they can weaken host trees by disrupting the flow of water and nutrients through the branches, making them more susceptible to environmental stress, they rarely cause serious harm to their long‑term health. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
