Genomics
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Climate and Sustainable Agriculture
program Leadership
Climate change, crop diseases, and hunger are intimately intertwined problems. We are using genome engineering as a tool to address all three.
We are developing and deploying genome-editing technology to capture and sequester more greenhouse gases and to develop climate-friendly agricultural solutions for farmers in developing countries. Our focus is on those most vulnerable to a changing climate, and areas in agriculture that are underdeveloped by the commercial sector.
Key Goals
Plant Genomics & Transformation Facility
Located in the Innovative Genomics Institute Building at UC Berkeley, the Plant Genomics and Transformation Facility (PGTF) has established transformation and genome editing protocols for over 25 major crop species and collaborates with agricultural institutions around the world.
Flagship Projects
Reducing Agricultural Inputs & Emissions
We are advancing a 360° approach to making rice more sustainable.
Rice is a staple crop for more than half the world’s population — but also a major source of methane emissions around the world. Our researchers are working to develop rice varieties that require less water and fertilizer inputs, with stable or enhanced yields, as well as varieties that are resistant to our changing climate, and produce less greenhouse gas.
CRISPR for Carbon Sequestration
We are developing a suite of new techniques to enhance biological carbon capture and sequestration.
IGI researchers are taking bold new approaches to sequester carbon from the atmosphere: editing plants to take up more carbon via improved photosynthesis, increasing underground storage of carbon in plant roots, and working with soil microbes to promote long-term storage of carbon in soil.
Disease-Resistant Crops
We are safeguarding important crops against dangerous pathogens.
Banana, cacao, and wheat — three of the world’s most important and beloved crops — are threatened by disease. IGI researchers are working to make them resistant to these dangerous pathogens, while developing technology that can be used more broadly to induce disease resistance in these and other important crop plants.
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