The results of Europe’s first ever field trial of a gene-edited (GE) wheat variety are now available and show signs of promise.
They confirm a significant reduction of the potential carcinogen acrylamide when the flour is baked. The new wheat strain was gene-edited to lower the formation of asparagine in the grains.
When cooked, this amino acid is converted to acrylamide – a potential carcinogen that food processors are keen to control.
Levels of asparagine (acrylamide’s precursor) in the GE wheat were up to 50% lower than the control variety – Cadenza.
Once ground into flour and cooked, the amounts of acrylamide formed were also significantly reduced by up to 45%.
Trial of gene-edited wheat
The field trial was an important step in determining whether the new GE wheat would be viable. Indoor trials under glass had proven successful, but only by planting out in experimental fields could the research team be sure that the new strain could deliver for farmers.
Prof. Nigel Halford, of Rothamsted Research, who led the project said: “The study showed that gene-editing to reduce asparagine concentration in the wheat grain works just as well in the field as under glass.
“This is important because the availability of low acrylamide wheat could enable food businesses to comply with evolving regulations on the presence of acrylamide in food without costly changes to production lines or reductions in product quality.
“It could also have a significant impact on dietary acrylamide intake for consumers.
“However, GE plants will only be developed for commercial use if the right regulatory framework is in place and breeders are confident that they will get a return on their investment in GE varieties,” he added.
Results
The results of the trial are timely as the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, which will make provision for the release and marketing of GE crops, is in the final stages of its passage through the Westminster Parliament.
Rothamsted Research got the green light to commence GE field trials with wheat in August 2021.
The plan is for a project of up to five years, ending in 2026, with plants being sown in September/October each year and harvested the following September.
GE plants are grown alongside wheat in which asparagine synthesis has been affected using chemically-induced mutation.
This technique has been widely used in plant breeding since the mid-20th century but is not targetable and, as a consequence, results in random mutations throughout the genome.
In contrast, the CRISPR technology, used by Rothamsted Research, makes small changes to a target gene so that a functional protein is no longer made from it.
The process initially involves genetic modification to introduce genes required for the CRISPR process into the plant.
Once the edit has been made, the GM part can be removed from the plants by conventional plant breeding methods over a few generations.
