Human genes in crops to improve yield is the very promising discovery of a team of researchers
Growing enough food to power the entire planet is no small task. This is a question that many researchers continue to ask themselves, always to improve yields. One of the answers could be human genes.
Indeed, according to a study by researchers at the University of Chicago, Peking University and Guizhou University, adding human genes to crops could improve yields by up to 50%.
Human genes in crops to improve yield
This means that, rather than planting more, existing crops could be even more efficient and produce more. This would reduce poverty and hunger in the world, according to the researchers.
This is the very promising discovery of a team of researchers
The use of human genes does not mean that cultures will become more “human”. Researchers are simply using the human gene that produces the FTO enzyme to help crops grow better.
In humans, this enzyme suppresses certain markers that regulate the production of proteins associated with cell growth. The researchers found that it was possible to achieve the same effect in crops, and in fact help them to produce more.
As a result of the operation, the crops grow by offering 50% additional mass, which makes it possible to increase the yield on rice, for example, by 50%. The roots of these modified crops are also longer, their photosynthesis is more efficient and researchers have even found that these crops are more resistant to drought.
According to Michael Kremer, Nobel Laureate in Economics, University of Chicago, “This is a tremendous technology that could solve many problems, including poverty and food insecurity on a global scale – and which could also prove to be useful in responding to climate change.”