Chinese scientists use dengue fever virus to build safer gene-editing system
Chinese scientists have developed a new gene-editing system for plants that utilizes components from viruses like dengue fever and tobacco mosaic virus to enhance both safety and efficiency. This innovative system addresses the limitations of commonly used gene-editing methods like CRISPR, which rely on DNA vectors that can introduce foreign DNA and potentially cause unintended mutations.
The new system employs messenger RNA (mRNA), which avoids the risk of leaving behind foreign DNA. By incorporating elements from viruses, known for their efficient intercellular transfer mechanisms, the researchers significantly improved the delivery of mRNA into plant cells. Testing showed the new system improved editing efficiency by 4.3 times in rice and 3.5 times in wheat, outperforming traditional DNA plasmid-based delivery systems.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
Chinese scientists have developed a new gene-editing system for plants that utilizes components from viruses like dengue fever and tobacco mosaic virus to enhance both safety and efficiency. This innovative system addresses the limitations of commonly used gene-editing methods like CRISPR, which rely on DNA vectors that can introduce foreign DNA and potentially cause unintended mutations.
The new system employs messenger RNA (mRNA), which avoids the risk of leaving behind foreign DNA. By incorporating elements from viruses, known for their efficient intercellular transfer mechanisms, the researchers significantly improved the delivery of mRNA into plant cells. Testing showed the new system improved editing efficiency by 4.3 times in rice and 3.5 times in wheat, outperforming traditional DNA plasmid-based delivery systems.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
