The global population is projected to expand from 8 billion people now to 10 billion by 2050. The world food production (measured in crop calories) will consequently need to increase by about 50% compared with 2010. Yet, today, around 765 million people face hunger. More than 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet due to high costs, income inequality, persistent pandemic conditions and unceasing armed conflicts around the world (Genome Edited Foods, Nat Rev Bioeng (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-023-00115-8). Conventional plant breeding and genetic engineering technologies alone will not meet the growing demands for food production.
In this connection emerging technologies like genome editing, CRISPR–CRISPR-Cas-based technologies, can transform agriculture and can help to achieve food security for the growing world population. In order to provide hands-on training on this emerging technology, the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) in association with the Agri Biotech Foundation organized a six-day hands-on workshop on “CRISPR-Cas: Mastering the Art of Plant Genomics Workshop 2023,” from September 25th to September 30th. Over the course of six immersive days, this workshop guided the participants on a fascinating journey into the complexity of genome editing in plants and its applications in disease resistance, higher yields, improved nutritive characteristics etc.
The workshop commenced with the inauguration of two distinguished guests: Dr. RK Mathur, Director- IIOR, and Dr. KK Narayanan, Director, Sthayika Seeds. They laid the foundation for the workshop with an insightful session on ‘Introduction to Genome Editing. These talks on the Basics of CRISPR-Cas Technology and gRNA Design provided a comprehensive overview of the potential Genetic Enhancement of Crops through Gene Editing.
On Day 2, Dr. Shashi Kiran from the University of Hyderabad delivered an insightful presentation, delving into the strategic utilization of bioinformatic tools for precise and effective genome editing, which forms a key factor in ensuring the success of gene modifications.
On Day 3………..
