Molecular biologist Stephen Runo, working at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, recently expressed his belief that his team could make history by being the first to plant genetically modified seeds on African land. He shared his thoughts in an article published in Nature.
Despite his optimism, Runo soon discovered that the competition in this field was tougher than expected. Another group of researchers working on corn had already been ahead of his team for two to three months. However, Runo sees this as a positive development as it demonstrates the feasibility of such projects in African countries.
This friendly rivalry among scientists marks progress in the field. The hope has long been that due to the relative simplicity and low cost of the genetic editing tool CRISPR, scientists from countries with lower average incomes would be able to develop crops that are better suited to the needs of local farmers, rather than relying on foreign-developed seeds. Currently, scientists are overseeing the development of at least twelve genetically modified crop projects, as reported in Nature.
One such project is being carried out by Runo’s team and focuses on creating a variety of sorghum that is resistant to the parasitic plant known as Striga, or witch broom. Field tests for this new sorghum variety are scheduled for later this year, according to Runo, who revealed this information at the Genome of Plants and Animals conference in San Diego on January 16.
Sorghum is an important crop used in Africa for food, building materials, and as livestock feed. However, over 60% of Africa’s agricultural land is infected with various strains of Striga, which attach to sorghum roots and deplete nutrients and water. A witch broom infection can lead to the destruction of an entire sorghum crop.
Fortunately, some wild varieties of sorghum have developed resistance to Striga due to mutations that alter the production of compounds known as strigolactones, which aid in the germination of Striga seeds. Runo and his colleagues have utilized CRISPR technology to introduce these resistance traits into their new sorghum variety.
CRISPR technology has become increasingly prevalent in scientific research and biotechnology, offering new possibilities in