MSU biologist pioneers increased protein in staple crops, helps alleviate global protein shortage
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥A 花秀直播 State biologist鈥檚 , a leading plant biology journal.
Ling Li, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Biological Sciences, has spent more than a decade studying rice and soybean crops, with the goal of providing a new strategy for crop improvement to increase protein content. 聽Her work offers a potential solution to combat global protein deficiency, a condition affecting millions, particularly children, contributing to cognitive impairments, stunted growth and susceptibility to diseases like Kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition caused primarily by a deficiency in dietary protein.
鈥淲ith rising concerns about protein deficiency and the environmental impact of animal-based protein sources, boosting plant protein content is crucial for improving both human health and sustainability,鈥 Li said.
Li鈥檚 research鈥攚hich includes more than 10 years of field work and field data to support her findings鈥攆ocuses on optimizing the genetic expression of rice and soybean plants, resulting in increased protein levels and reduced carbohydrate content. Her novel approach uses gene editing to remove repressor elements from noncoding DNA sequences, unlocking the potential for higher protein production in crops. This strategy not only offers improved nutritional value but also promotes more sustainable agricultural practices by reducing the reliance on animal-derived proteins.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Animal Plant Health Inspection Service determined Li鈥檚 gene-edited high-protein crops can be listed as nonregulatory soybean and rice, she said.
The findings provide a promising blueprint for enhancing crop productivity and nutritional quality through precise genome editing, with far-reaching implications for global food security and environmental sustainability.
Li鈥檚 research includes collaboration with the Bing Yang Lab at the University of Missouri and the Dan Voytas Lab at the University of Minnesota.
is a leading international journal focusing on high-quality, original research across the broad spectrum of plant sciences, from intracellular processes through to global environmental change. The journal is owned by the , a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of plant science. For more information, visit .
For more details about MSU鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Biological Sciences, visit and .
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