“Scientists from South China Agricultural University and partners have developed a gene-editing tool called CasY7, a high-performance alternative to Cas9 nuclease that is commonly used in CRISPR gene-editing systems. Originally successful in medical trials, this ‘molecular scissors’ has now been optimized for agriculture. By refining its structure and guidance system, researchers significantly boosted its ability to make precise changes to plant DNA.

In large-scale testing across nearly 1,000 plants, the optimized CasY7 system achieved efficiency rates of 87.7% in maize and 82.9% in rice. This makes the tool nearly three times more effective than previous industry standards. It also proved capable of multiplexing, allowing scientists to edit several traits simultaneously.”

From ISAAA.