IITA scientists achieve gene editing breakthrough for Banana Wilt Resistance

A landmark study published in Nature’s Communications Biology by IITA scientists showcases how CRISPR-based gene editing offers hope for East Africa’s banana farmers.

Scientists at IITA-CGIAR have made a major breakthrough in the fight against Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), a devastating bacterial disease threatening banana crops across East and Central Africa. The findings, recently published in Communications Biology, the prestigious journal from the Nature portfolio, demonstrates how gene editing can be used to develop disease-resistant banana varieties.

Using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the IITA researchers precisely knocked out two banana endogenous genes, MusaPUB22 and MusaPUB23, in the BXW-susceptible ‘Sukali Ndiizi’ cultivar. Previously identified through transcriptomic studies, these genes were found to be more active in plants vulnerable to BXW. When the scientists turned these genes off, the banana plants were able to mount a stronger defense against the disease.

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