White button mushrooms …. [T]hese little mushrooms represent an important agricultural milestone because they were the first gene-edited crop to get a regulatory green light from the U.S. government.
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The white buttons dominate the mushroom market because they are widely used …. However, their short shelf life is considered to be one of the major factors hampering the market. And that’s where gene editing comes into the picture.
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[I]n the case of gene editing, enzymes are used like scissors to tweak a plant’s genetic operating system …. Researchers say it allows them to precisely insert or delete genes in a plant’s DNA, thus improving a crop. No gene-edited mushrooms are yet available in the marketplace …. But that doesn’t mean other gene-edited crops aren’t in the wings.This year, gene-edited soy beans were planted on 1,600 acres in three U.S. states. For agriculture, it marks a biotech milestone …. [T]he crushed soybeans will be available in the marketplace early next year, either as edible oil …. or in products like granola bars …. The oil from the soybeans will contain …. significantly more …. healthier oleic acid than ordinary soybeans ….
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“We’re just driving to the ball park, said John Dombrosky, CEO of Ag Tech Accelerator, in an interview with Bloomberg News ….We’ll be able to fine-tune food for amazing health and nutrition benefits.”
Read full, original article: The little mushroom that could, with a little help from its gene-snipping friends
