Gene Editing Platform

Genome editing is the most precise and rapid technology for making desirable changes to the genes of crops for food and animal feed, for the benefit of production and sustainability. For example, CRISPR technology can triple rice yield - a crop that provides 20% of the world's calories - by introducing point mutations in a single gene. This approach helps conserve the planet's biodiversity by avoiding the need to expand agricultural land. 

In times of climate change, disease spreads, putting further pressure on crop production. Precise editing of disease susceptibility genes in rice and cassava has enabled the development of new varieties that are resistant to bacterial strains that affect these crops in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In Colombia, gene-edited rice lines resistant to bacterial leaf blight are now considered conventional crops. Additionally, gene editing can help produce healthier foods by reducing the absorption of heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic in rice and cacao.

Unlike transgenic modification - where DNA from a different species is introduced into the plant - gene editing is used to “flip a switch” in the plant's existing genes to achieve positive traits.

We educate, develop capacity and transfer technology to our stakeholders in Latin America mainly. In the last 10 years we have run five international courses and a symposium on Gene Editing for diverse audiences, from university students to regulators from all over Latin America; four science fairs, and multiple Open Houses for specific audiences like Gates AG-One, Bezos Earth Fund, the Duchess Sofia of Edinburgh, and the CGIAR Executive Managing Director, Ismahane Elouafi.

We promote the creation of more gene editing platforms in the region, specifically with the National University of Colombia and the FACEN of the National University of Asunción in Paraguay.

Our main supporters in these tasks have been the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture - IICA, and the Association of Agricultural Plant Biotechnology - AGROBIO, with whom we have trained more than 3,600 people since 2016.