Development of strains lays ground for breeding new species

Chinese scientists have used gene-editing technology to develop new soybean strains that can adapt to low-latitude areas, paving the way for breeding new species.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences used a gene-editing tool known as CRISPR/Cas9 to "knock out" two key genes that regulate soybean flowering, and used hybridization technology to create the mutants, the academy said.

The research was published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal in June.