Gene editing leads to faster production of food-friendly cassava
Zurich researchers have used gene-editing technology to develop a variant of the starchy tuber cassava that is much easier to process for the food and paper industries.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/Science Advances/cl
Until now, complex and energy-intensive industrial processes have been required to turn the starchy root vegetable cassava, also known as manioc, into food and paper products. Cassava is very hardy and tolerates drought better than other starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes, making it a staple food source in many tropical and sub-tropical countries. It is one of the top five most important sources of carbohydrate globally.
Now, an international team of researchers led by the lab of Simon BullExternal link at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) has found a way to produce a variant of the cassava plant that lacks the molecule amylose, which is found in the root starch and makes processing the plant for food very difficult. Using the gene-editing technology Crispr/Cas9,External link the researchers removed two genes responsible for amylose production, resulting in a cassava variant that is much easier to process commercially.
In addition, the researchers integrated a gene from the small flowering plant Arabidopsis, usually considered to be a weed, which stimulated the cassava plants to flower more often. Normally, unmodified cassava plants rarely flower under greenhouse conditions, making classical breeding a very slow process. More frequent flowering made it easier to breed the new, amylose-free variety much faster, and to produce offspring that did not contain any foreign Arabidopsis genes.
According to an ETHZ press release on Wednesday, amylose-free cassava is not a new invention, as such plants have been produced through classical breeding alone. However, the researchers note that the genetic modification approach, which requires a few months and a few plants, is much more efficient than classical breeding, which can take years and thousands of plants.
They also state that the method could be used in other plants to expand produce diversity and support an increasing global population.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
GM plants in bird feed found in non-GMO Switzerland
This content was published on
Authorities have contacted bird feed importers to ensure GM seeds do not find their way into Switzerland, where a moratorium against all such crops is in place until 2021. An assessment of bird feed carried out by national agricultural research centre Agroscope has revealed that 24 of 30 samples tested contain genetically modified oilseed rape.…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.