Part 1 of this volume reviews advances in gene editing techniques such as insertion-based genome edits, base editing, guide RNAs and CRISPR/Cas off targeting. Part 2 surveys applications of gene editing in key cereal and vegetable crops.

This book serves the teachers, researchers and the students as a handy and concise reference as well as guidebook while designing and planning for use of the advanced technologies for crop improvement. The content of the book is designed to cover the latest genome engineering techniques for crop improvement. The conventional breeding has got its limitations such as non-availability of desired genes within the genepool. In many cases, breeding has been highly used and it has nearly reached its highest limit so far as the productivity and production of crops are concerned. However, with increasing need of food and decreasing resources, including water, land, labour, etc., to feed the growing population, the alternative available ways of increasing crop productivity need to be explored and exploited. Genome engineering has a wide scope that includes technologies such as genetic engineering and transgenesis, RNA technologies, CRISPR, cisgenics and subgenics for better productivity and more efficient biotic and abiotic stress management. Therefore, the book is planned to enlighten the readers with the advanced technologies with examples and case studies, whenever possible. Efforts will be made to emphasize on general efforts on various major food crops; however, it would also be made clear that such efforts could be taken as proofs of concepts and that this could be extrapolated keeping the demand in mind.

Plants are vulnerable to pathogens including fungi, bacteria, and viruses, which cause critical problems and deficits. Crop protection by plant breeding delivers a promising solution with no obvious effect on human health or the local ecosystem. Crop improvement has been the most powerful approach for producing unique crop cultivars since domestication occurred, making possible the main innovations in feeding the globe and community development. Genome editing is one of the genetic devices that can be implemented, and disease resistance is frequently cited as the most encouraging application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in agriculture. Nanobiotechnology has harnessed the power of genome editing to develop agricultural crops. Nanosized DNA or RNA nanotechnology approaches could contribute to raising the stability and performance of CRISPR guide RNAs. This book brings together the latest research in these areas. CRISPR and RNAi Systems: Nanobiotechnology Approaches to Plant Breeding and Protection presents a complete understanding of the RNAi and CRISPR/Cas9 techniques for controlling mycotoxins, fighting plant nematodes, and detecting plant pathogens. CRISPR/Cas genome editing enables efficient targeted modification in most crops, thus promising to accelerate crop improvement. CRISPR/Cas9 can be used for management of plant insects, and various plant pathogens. The book is an important reference source for both plant scientists and environmental scientists who want to understand how nano biotechnologically based approaches are being used to create more efficient plant protection and plant breeding systems. - Shows how nanotechnology is being used as the basis for new solutions for more efficient plant breeding and plant protection - Outlines the major techniques and applications of both CRISPR and RNAi technologies - Assesses the major challenges of escalating these technologies on a mass scale

Gene Editing in Plants, Volume 149 aims to provide the reader with an up-to-date survey of cutting-edge research with gene editing tools and an overview of the implications of this research on the nutritional quality of fruits, vegetables and grains. New chapters in the updated volume include topics relating to Genome Engineering and Agriculture: Opportunities and Challenges, the Use of CRISPR/Cas9 for Crop Improvement in Maize and Soybean, the Use of Zinc-Finger Nucleases for Crop Improvement, Gene Editing in Polyploid Crops: Wheat, Camelina, Canola, Potato, Cotton, Peanut, Sugar Cane, and Citrus, and Gene Editing With TALEN and CRISPR/Cas in Rice. This ongoing serial contain contributions from leading scientists and researchers in the field of gene editing in plants who describe the results of their own research in this rapidly expanding area of science. - Shows the importance of revolutionary gene editing technology on plant biology research and its application to agricultural production - Provides insight into what may lie ahead in this rapidly expanding area of plant research and development - Contains contributions from major leaders in the field of plant gene editing

This volume aims to provide a timely view of the state-of-the-art in systems biology. The editors take the opportunity to define systems biology as they and the contributing authors see it, and this will lay the groundwork for future studies. The volume is well-suited to both students and researchers interested in the methods of systems biology. Although the focus is on plant systems biology, the proposed material could be suitably applied to any organism.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.

Over the past 50 years, biotechnology has been the major driving force for increasing crop productivity. Particularly, advances in plant genetic engineering technologies have opened up vast new opportunities for plant researchers and breeders to create new crop varieties with desirable traits. Recent development of precise genome modification methods, such as targeted gene knock-out/knock-in and precise gene replacement, moves genetic engineering to another level and offers even more potentials for improving crop production. The work provides an overview of the latest advances on precise genomic engineering technologies in plants. Topics include recombinase and engineered nucleases-mediated targeted modification, negative/positive selection-based homologous recombination and oligo nucleotide-mediated recombination. Finally, challenges and impacts of the new technologies on present regulations for genetic modification organisms (GMOs) will be discussed.