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CRISPR/Cas9 for plant genome editing: accomplishments, problems and prospects

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Abstract

The increasing burden of the world population on agriculture requires the development of more robust crops. Dissecting the basic biology that underlies plant development and stress responses will inform the design of better crops. One powerful tool for studying plants at the molecular level is the RNA-programmed genome editing system composed of a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-encoded guide RNA and the nuclease Cas9. Here, some of the recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology that have profound implications for improving the study of plant biology are described. These tools are also paving the way towards new horizons for biotechnologies and crop development.

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Acknowledgments

Due to limited space, we could not cite the entirety of the current literature that may also be important. We thank A. Malzahn for critical reading of the manuscript and thoughtful advice on its composition and content. This work is supported by startup funds from East Carolina University and a Collaborative Funding Grant (2016-CFG-8003) from North Carolina Biotechnology Center and Syngenta to YQ.

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  1. Department of Biology, Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA

    Joseph W. Paul III & Yiping Qi

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Paul, J.W., Qi, Y. CRISPR/Cas9 for plant genome editing: accomplishments, problems and prospects. Plant Cell Rep 35, 1417–1427 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-016-1985-z

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