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By Charlene Badasie
| 9 seconds ago
Many industries and science fields are using innovative technology to mitigate the impacts of climate change. One of the inventors of CRISPR gene editing is now convinced ScientistsIt is possible to engineer genetic code that will fight it. CRISPR stands short for clustered regularlyinterspaced short palindromic repetitives. It is a group of DNA sequences that can be found in the genomes prokaryotic organisms like bacteria and archaea.
These sequences are made from DNA fragments from bacteriophages infected the prokaryote. They are used to identify and combat DNA from similar bacteriaophages. Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering that CRISPR can enhance the ability of microbial communities to capture carbon from soil and water. In basic terms, it means if the science is just right – the entire structure of our environment can be altered to adapt to climate change.
Speak to the MIT Technology ReviewDoudna claims that this futuristic idea could have an enormous impact on the world. The research is still far from finished. “There’s been a lot of focus on clinical medical uses of CRISPR,” she told MIT Tech. “However, I suspect that over the next decade, when we think about global impact and impact on daily lives, that’s where the uses in agriculture and even to address climate change will potentially have a much broader impact.”
According to FuturismCRISPR has been a topic of discussion for several years by scientists. The main goal is to genetically modify plants so that they can absorb carbon. In 2019, The Guardian reported that The Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ Harnessing Plants Initiative was trying to amplify the root systems of plants and their production of suberin – the protective shell responsible for storing carbon dioxide. This theory suggests that living organisms could also be able to store more carbon dioxide through similar processes.
Along with amplified carbon dioxide absorption, CRISPR gene editing could also make plants more adaptable to a future that’s disrupted by climate change. Scientists at the University of California Berkeley are conducting this particular research. They are working to modify the genetics of rice to make it more resilient to droughts.
The study is associated with the Innovative Genomics Institute, founded by Doudna. However, the work is still in its very early stages and won’t be ready any time soon. Recent interview with Time, an ecosystem scientist at the University of California at Berkeley Jill Banfield said it’s all very “blue sky” at the moment. As one of Doudna’s closest collaborators, she explained that they need to understand the pieces and how they fit together before attempting anything related to climate change.
Although gene editing is still a long way off, CRISPR has already proven to be incredibly useful in medicine. Scientists are excited by its potential clinical applications and revolutionary effects on human health. Planet’s food supply chain. Their efforts to prevent or slow down the climate crisis are not to be ignored.