VOA科学技术2024--Australian Seed Company Tests AI Gene Editing in Wheat

Agriculture companies are using new methods to change the genes² of plants to produce more productive crops.

The process of gene¹-editing is gaining attention from people interested in agriculture. It makes changes to the existing genes of a plant, such as wheat. That is different from genetic³ modification⁴, which produces what are known as genetically⁵ modified organisms, or GMOs. That process introduces completely new DNA⁶ to a plant's genetic information.

Regulators and scientists believe gene-editing is less risky⁷ than genetic modification. They say it is closer to traditional methods of plant breeding. The process permits scientists to target several genes for editing.

A state-run company in Australia is preparing for a major trial of gene-edited wheat. Australian seed breeder InterGrain recently imported thousands of wheat seeds created by the American agricultural technology company Inari.

InterGrain chief Tress Walmsely said the wheat imports included hundreds of new genetic variations. Walmsley said the seeds are growing in a testing greenhouse in the state of Queensland. The plan is to create more seeds which can be planted across Australia in 2025.

"Our job is to work out which gene combination gives the best results. Our goal is at least 10 percent yield improvement. These seeds have the potential to achieve that," she said.

The company believes it could be selling seeds to Australian farmers starting in 2028.

Inari uses artificial intelligence (AI) to consider a huge number of possible edits and then uses the CRISPR gene-editing tool to change more than one gene at a time.

InterGrain and Inari believe the program could result in stronger wheat and bigger crops with a process 10 to 15 times faster than traditional plant breeding. Plant breeding happens when scientists mate two plants with desirable characteristics. It can take years for the best version of a plant to arrive.

Some gene-edited crops already exist. Most of them offer small nutritional⁸ improvements or have an increased ability to resist disease. The new wheat plants in Australia will have many of those qualities.

"We want to solve food security, climate change and farm profitability at the same time," said Inari's chief Ponsi Trivisvavet.

Australia is working to ensure that it can export the gene-edited wheat. Some countries, such as the U.S. and Japan, have already said they believe gene-editing is not very different from plant breeding. Officials in those countries will be more likely to approve the Australian wheat.

The European Union is expected to make a similar decision and China approved a gene-edited wheat plant in May.

Inari said it is working with agriculture companies in the U.S. on a gene-edited soybean that will produce larger crop yields.

Many countries have already accepted genetically modified soybeans because they are mostly used to feed animals. Officials, however, have been slower to approve the modification of wheat because much of it is used in products made for humans.

Words in This Story

edit -v. to make changes to writing, video or genetic structures to get a desired effect

variation -n. (biology) a living thing that is different from the parent in some way

greenhouse -n. a glass-covered house in which plants are grown

yield -n. the amount of a crop that can be used

achieve -v. to get something or to reach a goal

mate -v. the union of two sexes to create offspring

desirable -adj. something that is wanted or sought after

characteristic -n. a quality that a thing has

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

4 modification   

n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻

参考例句：

• The law,in its present form,is unjust;it needs modification.现行的法律是不公正的，它需要修改。
• The design requires considerable modification.这个设计需要作大的修改。

5 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

8 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。