Michele Morgante, a respected academic and expert, champions genetic editing as a critical strategy to increase crop adaptability to the harsh realities of climate change. The scientific community actively explores assisted evolution techniques to improve agricultural plants' resilience and productivity, amidst escalating climate challenges highlighted by the IPCC. These challenges, including extreme weather events, are diminishing food and water security worldwide.
The scientific community is actively researching and enhancing assisted evolution techniques in genetic modification to improve agricultural plant traits. These advancements aim to increase the plants’ utility in the agri-food sector and their resilience to climate variability. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has documented the extensive impact of climate change on ecosystems and human populations, highlighting increased frequency and severity of weather extremes that compromise food and water security. In light of this, meeting the demands of a rapidly growing global population, projected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 and 11.2 billion by 2100, is crucial. There is a focused push to refine Assisted Evolution Technologies (AET), especially through genomic editing tools like CRISPR Cas9, which allows for precise gene modifications.
Italy, facing acute climate challenges in the Mediterranean, a known climate change “hot spot,” is witnessing faster warming rates than the global average and significant rainfall reductions. Michele Morgante, a prominent genetics professor at the University of Udine and Scientific Director of the Institute of Applied Genomics, emphasizes the critical need for plant varieties that are more drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, especially as climate change and global trade introduce new pathogens.
TAKEAWAYS
Optimising Plant Resilience: Enhancing Photosynthesis to Genetic Innovation…
Scientists are pursuing plant varieties that can withstand changing climate conditions, focusing on overcoming the growing threat of drought.
“By improving photosynthesis—the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy—we can lower water consumption,” explains Michele Morgante.
Research highlighted in Molecular Plant, authored by Alessandro Alboresi and Giovanni Finazzi from the University of Padua’s Biology Department, supports this goal, pointing to significant potential in this field.
Morgante stresses the importance of enhancing photosynthetic efficiency, a largely overlooked area in genetic enhancement efforts, and sees molecular biology as key to breakthroughs in this essential process.
…To Genetic Editing
Adjacent to this path, genetic editing emerges as a notably promising domain. However, the President of the Italian Genetics Association warns, “We must tread carefully to avoid overpromising, a misstep previously seen with ‘GM plants’ four decades ago, touted as a panacea. Despite this, genomic editing stands out as an exceptional technology, enabling quicker and more precise modifications than traditional methods allowed.”
Clarification is crucial in agricultural biotechnologies, where approaches vary. Beyond transgenesis, which entails transferring exogenous genes from different species or kingdoms, resulting in GMO plants, cisgenesis exists. This method transfers native genes and their regulatory sequences, ensuring the introduced DNA remains within the same species.
These strategies represent genetic enhancement with distinct differences. Morgante illustrates,
“Disease susceptibility in cultivated plants can often be countered by transferring a resistance gene from a wild ancestor. Traditionally, this required multiple generations of crossbreeding to reintegrate the cultivated plant’s genome with the resistance gene. This ancient form of chromosome engineering, essentially replacing a chromosome segment, can now be achieved more rapidly and accurately through cisgenesis, bypassing extensive crossbreeding by directly transferring the beneficial gene.“
Furthermore, intragenesis involves altering an organism’s genetic material by mixing sequences from the same or closely related species, offering another layer of genetic modification.
Streamlining Plant Genetics via Precision Mutagenesis
The approach of mutagenesis, which traditionally involved using chemical or physical agents, has evolved. Plant genetic editing now enables precision mutagenesis, Morgante points out:
“Knowing which gene to modify allows for the selection of a specific nucleotide base, ensuring targeted enhancements. This method’s potential lies in its adaptability. However, success hinges on a detailed understanding of the genes related to the desired traits. Without this foundational knowledge, even the most advanced editing techniques may prove ineffective. Therefore, rigorous preliminary research is crucial for achieving meaningful results.”
The CRISPR Cas9 system represents a significant breakthrough in genetic editing, demonstrating its effectiveness across various species and offering profound benefits for improving agricultural crop quality, as confirmed by extensive studies [source: J. A. Montecilio et al., MDPI; National Library of Medicine].
Professor Morgante on the Future of Genetic Editing
What are the current challenges in genetic editing?
Although the genomes of nearly all major crops have been sequenced, revealing a comprehensive gene catalog, understanding the complex relationship between genes and agricultural traits remains a challenge. However, progress is being made towards achieving precise genetic expression control, which requires in-depth knowledge of the sequences that regulate target gene expression. This area demands further research to navigate the path forward effectively.
What is the current state of plant biotechnologies in Italy?
Italy has made significant strides in genome sequencing and analysis, gaining international acclaim, especially for key agricultural crops like tomatoes, wheat, and grapes. The primary challenge is the lack of funding for basic research essential to understanding critical processes like plant defense, nitrogen use, and enhancing photosynthesis. Increased investment in these fundamental areas is crucial.
Which research areas in plant biotechnologies will gain focus in the future?
Over thecourse of time, we have constantly changed agricultural production systems. Despite the fact that there is a conservative trend, which is very strong in Italy, I believe that in order to have an agriculture capable of reconciling production levels, sustainability, quality and safety for the consumer, we must consider all the options that science makes available. One area of interest is that of cellular agriculture, based on the possibility of producing without the need to grow them in the field. The best known today concerns cultivated meat, but this is only one example of potential applications;
Hydroponic farming is making headway, there is talk with interest of vertical farming. I am of the opinion that every possible option should be considered, with a secular, non-dogmatic view aimed at reconciling production, sustainability and quality. Through genetic editing, it will be possible to develop new possibilities, e.g. to produce plant proteins with an amino acid content more similar to that of animal proteins. Thanks to this opportunity – which has yet to be studied – animal breeding, which is a major contributor to climate-altering gas emissions, could be reduced. It is an opportunity we must not let slip through our fingers.
In terms of genomic editing, CRISPR Cas9 is now the most effective method in this regard, due to its easy applicability. In current applications, it is used to ‘cut’ a DNA molecule at a precise point, using Cas9, an enzyme that cuts DNA, and an RNA molecule that binds to the enzyme and guides it to a specific position in the genome corresponding to the target DNA. It can be thought of as a generic system to drive any molecule to a specific location in the genome, because the RNA molecule remains, but the enzyme can inactivate the cutting function and attack any other function. This ranges from the possibility of activating gene transcription to modifying the epigenetic characteristics of a particular region. It is an extremely flexible system. Today, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg of all the opportunities it can offer us, so we should expect many innovations that will enable us to make increasingly targeted and precise modifications, with fewer and fewer consequences for other parts of the genome.
Glimpses of futures
To navigate the complexities of feeding a growing population amid climate change, a comprehensive exploration of innovative solutions is crucial. Assisted evolution techniques could be instrumental in developing plants that meet global agricultural needs, yet overcoming existing challenges is essential.
The European Commission notes the evolution of agricultural methods since farming’s inception, aiming to enhance yield and quality. Modern genomic technologies promise similar improvements with unprecedented speed and precision
A STEPS (Social, Technology, Economy, Political, Sustainability) framework offers valuable insights into the implications of these advancements:
S – SOCIAL: Genetic editing has the potential to significantly improve food security, especially in regions most affected by climate change or limited by outdated agricultural practices. For example, nearly 795 million people in Africa were affected by food insecurity in 2021, representing about 60% of the continent’s population [source: UNCTAD].
T – TECHNOLOGY: Genetically modified plants could reduce agricultural labor demands and boost land productivity, even in currently underutilized areas.
E – ECONOMY: By enhancing traits like yield, disease resistance, and environmental resilience, assisted evolution can substantially increase crop productivity, offering economic benefits for rural communities.
P – POLITICAL: Establishing comprehensive regulations and governance is critical for the safe, ethical use of genetic editing technologies. Effective oversight is needed to prevent misuse, ensure food security, protect ecosystems, and avoid geopolitical conflicts arising from inequalities.
S – SUSTAINABILITY: Properly integrated and ecologically based plant protection strategies can dramatically reduce pesticide use, as highlighted by FoodWatch. Genetic editing should be considered one of many strategies for achieving sustainable food production with minimal environmental impact. Agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, notably methane and nitrous oxide, ranking as the fourth largest source globally [source: Our World In Data].
