A workshop on ‘Advances in Genome Editing Tools’ commenced with an inaugural ceremony at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The ceremony, graced by distinguished personalities including PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal and Dr. Bing Yang, Professor from the College of Agriculture, University of Missouri, USA, marked the beginning of a ten-day workshop running from April 22 to May 01, 2024. The event saw notable attendees from the university’s administration, subject experts, faculty members and students.

Dr. Bing Yang, conducting the workshop under the Fulbright Specialist Program at PAU’s School of Agricultural Biotechnology, shed light on the research focus of the Yang Laboratory. Their work primarily revolves around unraveling the molecular intricacies of host disease susceptibility and resistance to pathogenic microbes, with a particular emphasis on bacterial blight in rice crops. Furthermore, they specialize in developing and applying genome editing technologies to discover genes and traits and engineer improved traits such as disease resistance in crop plants.

Explaining the genome editing technologies, Dr. Yang informed that these have emerged as promising tools for scientists to comprehend complex genomes and precisely manipulate them. Notably, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas stand as the state-of-the-art genome editing technologies, offering immense potential in defining genetic and molecular bases for valuable traits and facilitating the introgression of desired genes/traits into cultivated varieties efficiently and economically.

Dr. Yang elucidated the utility of genome editing in identifying problematic pathogens in bacteria, thereby aiding in understanding pathogen functions and devising strategies to combat widespread infections that adversely affect crop yields. The revolutionary CRISPR technique, employed by him and his team, facilitates precise gene editing, accelerating the process of homologous recombination, which was formerly known to be ineffective and time-consuming.

In his remarks, Dr. S.S. Gosal expressed gratitude for hosting Dr. Bing Yang, recognizing his expertise in genome editing technologies, particularly in TALENs and CRISPR-Cas. He cited the imperative of harnessing the potential of these advanced technologies to address the evolving challenges faced by the farmers. From enhancing crop resilience to combating pests and diseases, genome editing holds the key to unlocking unprecedented possibilities in crop improvement, he reiterated. The Vice-Chancellor mentioned that biotechnological tools like marker-assisted selection, transgenics/RNA interference for resistance against diseases and pests, gene mapping, and genomics-assisted breeding are being used at PAU for precise and targeted crop improvement. Reaffirming PAU’s collective resolve to embrace advanced technologies for the betterment of the farmers, Dr. Gosal vouched for synergistic partnerships for expanding one’s horizons and charting a course towards transformative progress.

The Director of PAU’s School of Agricultural Biotechnology, highlighted the workshop’s objectives aimed at providing hands-on training to students, research staff, and faculty in prime editing/base editing tools. With Dr. Bing Yang’s guidance, participants are expected to enhance their expertise in genome editing, contributing to the university’s crop improvement programmes and fostering wider applications of genome editing in agriculture.

Dr. Priti Sharma, Assistant Professor (Biotechnology), coordinated and concluded the event by extending gratitude to all stakeholders for their contributions towards making the workshop a success. She encouraged the participants to leverage the knowledge gained to drive meaningful contributions towards agricultural sustainability and societal welfare.