A recent video in the University of California’s Fig. 1 series explains CRISPR gene editing and its potential, and highlights four UC labs using CRISPR to tackle some of our world’s toughest challenges.
Among them is the lab of Plant & Microbial Biology Professor Brian Staskawicz, which is focused on saving the world’s supply of chocolate. Currently, the Cacao Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV), an infection spread by tiny insects called mealybugs, is causing losses of up to 50% of cacao harvests in some parts of the world. Staskawicz and Myeong-Je Cho, director of the Innovative Genomics Institute’s Plant Genomics and Transformation Facility, are leading research that could help cacao farmers around the world safeguard their crops. It all starts with a single gene-edited cell, then grows into new cacao trees, which are tested for resistance to CSSV.
Learn more about their work in our 2024 Breakthroughs magazine article, and check out the Fig. 1 video below.