Reading time: 2 minutes
In a leap for agricultural science, a team of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa undergraduate students has developed a new method that slashes the time needed to test gene-editing tools on corn from several months to just a few days. This significant breakthrough can help scientists accelerate corn breeding efforts and overcome challenges in developing new, improved types of corn. Their work, centered on the revolutionary gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, was published in Plant Cell Report.
The students tested the new CRISPR tools on four different types of corn. The results showed that the tools are powerful, with an editing efficiency of up to 24%. This is particularly important for tropical corn, which is sensitive to daylight, making it challenging for farmers to grow in some climates.
CTAHR teaching assistants Yu Wang and Adam Phelps, co-authors of both papers.
CRISPR is a landmark molecular biology tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to DNA. It was co-developed by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, a renowned biochemist with deep ties to Hawaiʻi; she was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Hilo. The groundbreaking tool has opened up new possibilities for treating genetic diseases and improving agriculture.
Prepping for high paying jobs
The research was conducted as part of the MBBE/BIOL 401 Lab, a 400-level course led by Zhi-Yan “Rock” Du, an associate professor in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The class is designed to give students hands-on experience and prepare them for careers in many fields, from pharmaceuticals to agriculture.
“Having a published paper is a major accomplishment that makes students more competitive for potentially high-paying jobs and graduate school,” Du said. “It’s an engaging way to help them think critically about what they are learning and provides them with their first publication before they even graduate.”
Students from the 2025 spring semester class also wrote a review paper on CRISPR applications in agriculture that was published in the Biotechnology Journal.