Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
November 26, 2012
Precision BioSciences, Inc., a leader in the field of genome engineering, today announced that research, The Bayer Scientific Magazine, has published an article describing the successful use of Precision’s DNE technology to modify the genome of cotton. The article describes pioneering work performed by Kathleen D’Halluin and her colleagues at Bayer CropScience, who used an engineered DNE meganuclease produced by Precision to insert a gene into cotton. In doing so, D’Halluin was able to produce a “trait stack” in which two genes conferring valuable traits were targeted to the same location in the cotton genome. This is the first time that a gene editing approach, such as DNE, has been used successfully in cotton. Precision’s patent-protected technology provides plant researchers with exquisite control over a plant genome and offers enormous improvements in breeding efficiency.
“We are enormously pleased with the results published by Bayer CropScience,” said Jeff Smith, Precision BioSciences’ Chief Scientific Officer. “Cotton is a notoriously difficult plant to manipulate and we expect DNE to play an important role in the genetic modification of such recalcitrant crop species.”
“Precision’s long-standing focus on the development of the world’s premier genome editing technology is continuing to pay off,” said Precision BioSciences CEO Matthew Kane. “We look forward to solving future unmet genome engineering challenges requiring the levels of precision that only DNE allows.”
A link to the full pdf containing this article can be found at: http://www.research.bayer.com/en/straight-into-the-cotton-genome.aspx
Precision BioSciences’ mission is to continually provide, improve, and enable the world’s most powerful genome engineering technology. Precision’s proprietary Directed Nuclease EditorTM (DNE) technology enables the production of genome editing enzymes that can insert, remove, modify, and regulate essentially any gene in mammalian or plant cells.
Precision BioSciences’ vision is to be the conduit through which the world’s greatest genome engineering challenges are solved. Precision has successfully utilized its DNE technology to create innovative products in partnerships with many of the world’s largest biopharmaceutical, agbiotech, and animal research firms. Internally, Precision is developing applications of DNE in biological production and human therapeutics.
Biotechnology: targeted gene incorporation becomes reality
Straight into the cotton genome
Cotton fibers are a key raw material for the textile and paper industries, and a valuable oil can be extracted from cotton seeds. However, the plant is very sensitive: yields drop significantly if it suffers the effects of pests, competition from weeds or drought. Biotechnology is helping to safeguard cotton yields for the future. Scientists at Bayer CropScience are using an innovative method called directed nuclease editor, or DNE for short. With it, selected genes can be incorporated into the cotton genome with greater accuracy, for example herbicide tolerance or insect resistence genes that make the plant more efficient in its challenging environment.
On the way to a "super yield"
The dream of the perfect cotton plant which delivers a plentiful harvest with high quality fibers despite adverse climatic conditions is getting ever closer thanks to this new technology. What is more, it gives Bayer researchers new possibilities for increasing the crop's efficiency. In the future, additional crop plants will also benefit from the new technology. Scientists are planning further projects with rice and soy. Click here to find out which developments are making the revolutionary gene transfer possible.
Click here to read the complete article
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