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A Future With Gene Editing

Temperatures are rising year after year, producing an incredibly unpleasant scenario. Unfortunately, failing to tackle deforestation has exacerbated the problem. The important thing to remember here is that rising temperatures have had a significant impact on plants as well, as they require specific climate conditions to grow well. Humans have various ways to combat the heat, but plants remain in close touch with the natural environment, and there is clearly a need to do something about this. Plant defenses need to be strengthened to protect crops from rising temperatures induced by climate change. As a response, this essay on the MIT Technology Review website tries to explain how heat harms plant health and how gene editing might help plants survive.

The article opens by suggesting that increasing temperatures may have a negative impact on the food supply. Not only is this a matter of concern since increasing temperatures are causing an increase in heat, but it can also exacerbate drought conditions. According to the report, this is one of the ways crops can be harmed. Plants’ molecular machinery can even shut down in harsh circumstances, resulting in crop loss. According to the report, this is another cause of plant failure. One of the primary difficulties is that when temperatures rise even a little above usual, plants become more prone to pests. According to the article, plants’ immune systems produce toxins in reaction to bacterial infections. In extremely high temperatures, the plant’s immune processes are seriously hindered, reducing its antibacterial powers. However, scientists have just discovered a temperature-sensitive gene and have discovered a mechanism to heal the plants’ immune system at higher temperatures. Researchers essentially modified the plants’ DNA such that they were forced to increase salicylic acid synthesis all the time, even at high temperatures. This demonstrated that gene editing is effective in developing plants resistant to the negative effects of heat. Gene editing methods like CRISPR, according to the research, might be utilized to circumvent some of the regulatory and consumer issues connected with GMO crops. However, it is still felt that much more research is required. Finally, the article suggests that if researchers can discover new strategies to assist plants in defending themselves, it might lead to decreased pesticide use and a more robust global food supply.

With technology evolving on a daily basis, there is an increasing need to find solutions to preserve plant health, one of which has been discovered to be gene editing, which you can read about in the article published on the MIT Technology Review’s website.

Technological transformation just like this are essential for the future. You can drive transformational growth by developing a deep understanding of exponential and digital technologies with the MIT PE Technology Leadership Program (TLP).

MIT PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
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