NIPGR’s gene-edited rice exhibits greater phosphate uptake and higher yield.

Study on Phosphorus Uptake and Transport in Japonica Rice

• NIPGR researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to increase phosphate uptake and transport in japonica rice varieties.

• The gene-edited rice lines showed 40% higher yield compared to the control group.

• The study focused on the root-to-shoot phosphate transporter, which absorbs phosphate from the soil and transfers it to the shoots.

• The repressor gene, OsWRKY6, was identified and knocked out using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool, leading to a significant increase in the expression of the phosphate transporter OsPHO1;2.

• The gene-edited rice lines were able to channel extra phosphate absorbed by the roots to produce more seeds, leading to a 20% increase in yield.

Study on Gene-Editing in Rice

• The study used japonica cultivar Nipponbare for gene-edited lines and transgenics.

• The study aimed to address off-target events in gene-editing, which activists have raised due to IP rights held by foreign entities.

• The study tested the top 10 contender off-target sites and found no deletions on those sites.

• Tissue culture-based transgenic generation was used to check if gene-editing was precise before the seeds were produced.

• The presence of foreign DNA was a major objection, but the DNA from bacteria was removed in the second generation through a simple Mendelian segregation method.