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Changing the DNA of Living Things to Fight Climate Change

Eric Lipton

October 24, 2024 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Pivot Bio sells corn seeds sprayed with genetically-modified bacteria meant to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and the carbon dioxide emissions that come with them. The bacteria create extra nutrients for the plants in the soil once the seeds are planted.

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A tweak to help potatoes withstand late blight disease

Judd-Leonard Okafor

June 01, 2023 |

Daily Trust |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria

Researchers bioengineered potatoes to resist late blight, a disease that ruins harvests, so farmers in Nigeria can have reliable yields and incomes. The new potatoes were cultivated by combining the potatoes farmers like to grow with wild potatoes that naturally resist mold.

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How will we feed Earth's rising population? Ask the Dutch.

Kenny Torrella

March 13, 2023 |

Vox |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands

In the Netherlands’ Seed Valley some of the largest seed companies in the world are increasing agricultural output to feed the growing world population using less land. They use plant breeding, which involves combining the DNA of different crop varieties, and seed enhancement, which involve germinating the seeds early to shorten the dormant period in which they are most vulnerable. Seed enhancement can also include coating seeds with solutions that combat dangers like disease and wind gusts.

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As climate changes, Mekong farmers try floating rice

Thanh Hue

December 12, 2022 |

Mekong Eye |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Vietnam, An Giang

Researchers at the Climate Change Institute at An Giang University are working with farmers in Vietnam to popularize a better-tasting, more resilient strain of traditional floating rice to help them adapt to flooding and climate change.

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The Big Idea: using AI to breed more sustainable crops

Freya Pratty

June 22, 2021 |

Sifted |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Israel

For the past 200 years, crops have been bred for yield, for feeding livestock, rather than nutritional value. However, as more people shift away from meat the industry is looking to produce crops for flavor and nutritional value. Yet, finding the right crops with the right traits can take a long time. One company is trying to speed up the process. Equinom, is a company that is using AI technology to select the best genes from each plant and then predict the outcomes. The technology has resulted in 100k acres of specialized crops.

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Should We Genetically Engineer Carbon-Hungry Trees?

Teresa Carey

March 07, 2021 |

Freethink |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

As a way to combat climate change, scientists are experimenting with genetically modified trees as a way to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to store in its leaves, roots, and trunk. The startup Living Carbon has genetically modified poplar and pine seeds in the ground and expect them to be ready by the end of the year. Some scientists are worried about how these trees can impact forest ecosystems, but they grow faster than normal trees, allowing them to study and assess the risks quicker.

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Can Genetic Engineering Bring Back the American Chestnut?

Gabriel Popkin

April 30, 2020 |

The New York Times |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Researchers successfully genetically engineered American Chestnut trees to resist the blight that decimated the species. Using a resistance-conferring gene from the wheat plant, the trees are grown in the lab and then can mate with trees in the wild to produce hardier blight-resistant trees. Although there are several regulatory hurdles to clear, and some environmental activists oppose the use of genetic modifications, the group continues to receive substantial grants and the trees have passed years of safety and efficacy tests showing they are safe and can even contribute to a healthy diet for many species.

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How Peru's potato museum could stave off world food crisis

Dan Collyns

November 29, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Peru, Cusco

Climate change is impacting many crops and farmlands, but potato farmers in the Peruvian Andes are experimenting with genetic strains to diversify potatoes to help safeguard the vegetable for further climate changes. Scientists so far have found some success with one particular varietal and are now working to make it more resistant to temperature changes.

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How a new grain could help combat climate change

Megan Thompson Mark Bittman Melanie Saltzman

November 16, 2019 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, St. Paul, Minnesota

Planting perennial grains for human consumption retains more nutrients in the soil, prevents soil erosion, and traps carbon. Farmers and researchers have been working to develop a commercially viable perennial grain, known as Kernza. Today, business pioneers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area are finding ways to introduce Kernza into consumer markets, including Kernza beer.

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From Weed to Cash: Researchers Genetically Engineer Pennycress

Ryan Denham Sean Newgent

October 03, 2019 |

WGLT |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Illinois

A gene editing practice called CRISPR is transforming a penny-shaped weed known as pennycress into a cover crop. This practice offers farmers a source of revenue in their off season and provides habitats for insects, as well as improved soil health.

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