Oct 6, 2023
Natural genetically modified crops: Grasses take evolutionary shortcut by borrowing genes from their neighbors
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: biotech/medical, food, genetics
Grass may transfer genes from their neighbors in the same way genetically modified crops are made, a new study has revealed.
Research, led by the University of Sheffield, is the first to show the frequency at which grasses incorporate DNA from other species into their genomes through a process known as lateral gene transfer.
The stolen genetic secrets give them an evolutionary advantage by allowing them to grow faster, bigger or stronger and adapt to new environments quicker.