CARBON Newsletter (21 August 2026) - Your Latest News About CRISPR in AgroBio

Top picks

• CRISPR-Combo is a new method that combines genome editing with the activation of morphogenetic genes to improve regeneration in potato, citrus, wild strawberry, and poplar. Screens identified several regeneration-promoting targets in potato and citrus; activating paired genes shortened production of edited strawberry plants by over one month and generated edited poplar shoots without exogenous hormones in under a month. The approach could ease transformation bottlenecks in perennial crops.
• An editorial in Nature Plants discusses new European Union rules dividing genome-edited plants into NGT1 varieties with relatively small, conventionally achievable changes, regulated like conventional crops, and NGT2 plants treated as GMOs. Insecticidal and herbicide-resistant plants are excluded from NGT1, which also remains incompatible with organic certification, while disputes continue over patents, labelling and traceability.

Technical advances

• Using CRISPR-Cas9 for the first time in Oxalis, researchers targeted OvPDS1, a gene involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, producing an albino phenotype and confirming editing feasibility despite a low 0.5% efficiency. This was made possible by a newly established Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system for the ornamental plant Oxalis vulcanicola 'Sunset Velvet', optimised to achieve transient GUS expression of around 9% and eight stable transgenic lines – overcoming a major bottleneck for molecular breeding in this and other non-model ornamentals.
• CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins and donor DNA enabled targeted EGFP insertion at RbcS while disrupting APT for selection in the seaweed Ulva. Single-stranded donors with 300-nucleotide homology arms performed best, yielding EGFP-positive strains among about 3% of resistant individuals and the species’ first targeted double mutant. Sequence patterns suggested synthesis-dependent strand annealing or mismatch repair, while tandem P2A-T2A peptides improved polycistronic expression.
• Researchers have established a proof-of-concept CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein platform for DNA-free genome editing in coffee (Coffea canephora), designing an RNP system targeting exon 4 of CcYUC1, a putative auxin biosynthesis gene whose transcripts accumulate during early somatic embryogenesis. In vitro assays confirmed over 80% cleavage efficiency, laying the groundwork for functional studies of auxin's role in embryogenic induction.
• Researchers assessed whether progeny of a CRISPR-Cas9-edited tomato line, rinG2 – carrying a mutation in the Ripening inhibitor locus that extends fruit shelf life – retained residual recombinant DNA from the editing vector. Using PCR, Southern blotting and k-mer analysis of high-throughput sequencing in parallel, they identified a T1 plant free of detectable foreign DNA, unlike its sister lines, demonstrating a practical route for regulatory clearance of genome-edited crops under frameworks such as Japan's that require no residual foreign DNA.
• CRISPR-Cas-derived prime editing was established in the model bryophyte Marchantia, targeting Acetolactate Synthase with average editing efficiencies above 40%. The researchers implemented the system using modular Golden Gate cloning to simplify construct assembly. The platform extends precise search-and-replace editing beyond flowering plants and provides a new tool for functional genomics in this emerging plant model.

Disease and stress control

• Researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate loss-of-function lines for SUC5, helping confirm that this gene's siRNA output drives methylation of SUC2, the transporter that loads sucrose into the leaf phloem of Arabidopsis thaliana. Manipulating SUC5 and SUC8 expression – alongside a base-edited SUC8 siRNA line – linked leaf carbon export to local summer temperatures, pointing to exon methylation guided by gene-derived siRNAs as a mechanism of climatic adaptation.

Agronomic traits

• CRISPR-Cas9 editing of a conserved upstream open reading frame, uORF2, in maize, combined with the natural translation-enhancing uORF1 Hap2, created an elite dual-uORF GGP variant. The modification increased vitamin C, crude protein and phosphorus levels in silage without detectable growth penalties. Transcriptomic analysis indicated coordinated regulation of vitamin C biosynthesis and silage-quality traits, providing germplasm for precision breeding.

Industry

• Limagrain has licensed Qi Biodesign’s genome-editing technologies for global use in field and vegetable crop research and breeding. The agreement provides immediate access to a novel CRISPR-Cas nuclease and a framework for adopting future tools, including technologies for targeted large-DNA insertion. The companies disclosed no specific crop traits, development timelines, commercial products or financial terms.
• Cibus has reported a second-quarter net loss of $22.1 million, with available cash expected to fund operations into early 2027. The company uses a proprietary gene-editing platform to make precise, non-transgenic changes to crops’ native genes, regenerating whole plants and licenses improved traits back to seed partners. The programmes spans canola, oilseed rape, flax, cassava and other crops.
• Bayer reports that second-quarter sales from its Crop Science division rose 3.5% to €4.910 billion, while EBITDA increased 30.2% to €902 million. The result was driven by soybean and cotton seed and traits, glyphosate herbicides, insecticides and lower production costs. No CRISPR-Cas or genome-editing developments were reported.
• Corteva Agroscience reports second-quarter 2026 net sales of $6.379 billion and operating EBITDA of $2.261 billion, up 4% year on year. The company attributes performance partly to next-generation seed technologies, trait licensing and advanced genetics; however, the release identifies no specific CRISPR-Cas or other genome-editing programme, crop trait or development milestone.
• Inari has been named AgTech Breakthrough’s 2026 Overall AgTech Company of the Year, its fifth consecutive award. The company’s SEEDesign platform combines AI, genomics and multiplex CRISPR-Cas editing to modify several genes simultaneously. Its current focus is higher-yielding soybean, maize and wheat, with a commercial-ready soybean design and programmes addressing disease resistance, biofuels and other quality traits.
• Pairwise has licensed its Fulcrum CRISPR-Cas platform to Agragene for the technology’s first application in insects. Agragene plans to incorporate the editing tools into its precision-guided sterile insect system, which produces sterile males to suppress specific pest populations. Its lead programme, KNOCKOUT SWD, targets spotted-wing drosophila in soft-fruit crops and is progressing from field trials towards commercial deployment.
• Pairwise elaborates that licensing of its Fulcrum CRISPR-Cas platform has expanded to 25 organisations working across more than 30 plant, animal, insect and microbial species. The platform combines nuclease, base and templated editing and has achieved up to 17 simultaneous edits internally. Projects span staple and specialty crops, livestock and biological pest control, although identifying genes governing complex traits remains a major bottleneck.

Detection

• CRISPR-Cas12a coupled with recombinase polymerase amplification and lateral-flow readout enabled rapid detection of Piper yellow mottle virus in black pepper. The assay produced visible test lines within 30 minutes, showed no cross-reaction with other tested pepper viruses and achieved sensitivity comparable to qPCR. Validation on field samples supported its potential for reliable on-site diagnosis without sophisticated laboratory equipment.

Perspectives

• A survey in Taif, Saudi Arabia, has found that gene editing for life-threatening diseases was supported by 63% of 747 surveyed adults, while embryonic treatment was supported by 74%. Healthcare affiliation predicted greater acceptance, whereas previous awareness did not. Respondents also expressed substantial interest in non-medical enhancement, although 51% considered such uses ethically unacceptable, revealing tension between personal interest and stated ethical limits.
• A commentary in the Science Literacy Project argues that CRISPR-Cas editing, guided by pangenomes and increasingly AI, could shift food innovation from processing plants to crop genomes by improving yield, flavour, nutrition and resilience. Examples include altered tomatoes, non-bitter mustard greens and compact, seedless blackberries. The article stresses that complex gene networks, slow biological cycles, intellectual-property restrictions, field-scale validation, investment and consumer acceptance remain substantial barriers to broader commercial adoption.

Reviews

• Transcriptional Regulation, Epigenetic Memory, and CRISPR-Based Engineering of Combined Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Cereal Crops. This review proposes a three-tier framework linking transcription-factor networks, epigenetic regulation, and CRISPR-based tools to engineer combined abiotic stress tolerance (drought, heat, salinity, cold) in several crops.
• Gene editing and evo-devo taxonomy in plant research. This review examines how CRISPR-Cas genome editing is shifting plant evolutionary developmental biology and taxonomy from descriptive comparison towards experimental tests of gene function, morphological evolution and species diversification.
• CRISPR-enabled functional genomics for bolstering plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress; a comprehensive review, This review examines how CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, integrated with multi-omics, high-throughput phenotyping and nanocarrier-based delivery, could accelerate the development of crops with improved tolerance to abiotic stresses, heavy metals, pathogens and pests.
• Emerging applications of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in horticultural crop improvement. This review summarises recent progress in CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing of horticultural crops, covering disease resistance, fruit ripening and flowering regulation, alongside strategies for transformation and transgene-free plant development, while noting persistent challenges such as low transformation efficiency and polyploidy.
• CRISPR-mediated genome editing for developing durable and broad-spectrum disease resistance in wheat. This review synthesises recent advances in CRISPR-mediated editing of resistance genes, susceptibility genes and immune pathways – including multiplex, base and prime editing – for combating major wheat fungal diseases, while examining the biological, technical and regulatory barriers to deploying these tools in breeding programmes.
• Breaking the growth-defence trade-off in cereal crops: CRISPR/Cas and moonlighting proteins in biotic stress resistance. This review synthesises CRISPR-Cas strategies for decoupling disease immunity from yield in cereals, including susceptibility-gene disruption and multiplex editing of resistance loci in polyploids such as wheat, to fine-tune the growth-defence balance for sustainable breeding.
• Editing for Abundance: CRISPR Technologies Shaping the Future of Cereal Yields. This review examines CRISPR-Cas applications for yield enhancement in cereals, from early nucleases to base and prime editing and cis-regulatory editing, while addressing polyploid efficiency constraints and how transgene-free approaches align with GMO-exempt regulatory frameworks.
• DNA-free genome editing in ornamental plants: a protoplast-based framework from transient editing to whole-plant regeneration. This review assesses DNA-free CRISPR-Cas genome editing in ornamental crops, comparing ribonucleoprotein and other non-integrating delivery methods while arguing that progress depends chiefly on genotype-responsive integration of cell recovery, transient editing, plant regeneration and rigorous validation.
• Genome editing in tetraploid potato: CRISPR technologies, multi-omics target discovery, and applications for trait-oriented breeding. This review surveys genome-editing approaches for precision breeding in tetraploid potato – including DNA-free CRISPR-Cas delivery, base and prime editing, and multi-omics-guided target selection – for applications like reduced tuber browning, altered starch and resistance to late blight and viruses.
• Integrating conventional breeding, biotechnology, and genome editing for herbicide-resistant rice: implications for sustainable development goals. The review emphasizes that the future success of HR rice depends on integrated strategies combining genetic innovation, region-specific agronomic management, resistance monitoring, and policy frameworks to ensure sustainable rice production, food security, and environmentally responsible agricultural transformation aligned with global sustainability goals.