Tapping into the Unsung Potential of CRISPR/CAS Technology in Agriculture

Abstract

Over the last few years, the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) for genetic manipulation has transformed life science. CRISPR was first found in bacteria and archaea as an adaptable immune system, and later modified to create specific DNA breaks in living cells and creatures. Various DNA alterations can occur throughout the cellular DNA repair process. Since the first demonstration of CRISPR in plant genome editing in 2013, there has been much progress in fundamental crop research and plant improvement. Plants can use the CRISPR toolset to do programmable genome editing, epigenome editing, and transcriptome regulation. However, the difficulties of plant genome editing must be properly understood and answers sought. With an emphasis on achievements and prospective utility in plant biology, this review aims to provide an instructive assessment of the current advancements and discoveries in CRISPR technology. CRISPR will, in the end, not only make fundamental research easier, but it will also speed up plant breeding and germplasm development. In the light of global climate change, as well as present agricultural, environmental, and ecological concerns, the use of CRISPR to improve germplasm is extremely significant.