India has made an important leap on the technological continuum with the recent approval of rice varieties processed with genome. Praised as the world’s first, these rice varieties will set up the scientific world, because countries are increasingly taking breakthrough genome processing technologies to accelerate the production of sustainable rice and remains competitive in international trade.
Rice, often referred to as the ‘staff of life’ has a deep cultural and traditional significance all over the world. It binds trade and culture and offers essential calories to humanity. In this context, the approval of the world’s first genome-processed rice varieties is a milestone step that promises food security for the poorest of the poor in the coming years.
At the same time, the development has fueled debates on the nature and usefulness of the technology, in particular on social media, where concerns have surfaced about the safety of genome work in a staple crop such as rice. Tackling these public worries in simple language by demystifying nuances and technical details is vital for improving the public. It also offers crucial insight for the preparation of informed policy decisions on genome processing in rice and other important crops. Simplifying the complexity of the editing of genome is essential to prevent misunderstandings and to prevent incorrect information produced by certain interest groups that have recently expressed concern about the safety of genome-processed rice and its impact on the rich biodiversity of India.
The groundbreaking step from India to approve genome-processed rice should serve as a case study in responsible biotech innovation. A useful way to explain genome processing to the layman is by comparing it with customization. This analogy that CRISPR-Cas Genomeworking compares with a tailor with scissors to change dust helps to simplify a complex concept and invites a broader public involvement in one of the most transforming technologies of our time.
CRISPR-CAS Genome processing: the genetic tailor
Imagine a Master -handle maker that is for a long piece of fabric (Figure 1). The Master -handister carefully inspects each inch to sign a specific pattern or to find imperfections or areas that need change. With the help of Krijt, the tailor -made spots mark before picking up sharp scissors to make precise cuts. In this analogy, the tailor represents a scientist or researcher who uses the CRISPR-CAS system.
Figure 1. CRISPR-CAS Genome processing as a tailor using scissors
The fabric is the genome (DNA)
Now move your imagination of the world from dust to the complex DNA or deoxyribonucleic life, the hereditary material in all known living organisms, including people, animals and plants. It consists of long sequences of nucleotides – the building blocks that form genes. These genes determine everything, from the shape, size and color of the fruits to the risk of certain diseases in plants or vulnerability for climatic setbacks. In our analogy, think of DNA as a roll of fabric that can be formed in different items of clothing. Similarly, DNA can be expressed in various ways to create the diversity of life in plant, human and animal. But just like dust, DNA is not immune to errors. Sometimes the fabric is switched off. A pattern does not work out well. That is where genetic customization comes into play.
This “genetic registration” is exactly what scientists in India have recently achieved with new rice varieties such as DRR Dhan 100 (Kamla) and Pusa Rice DST 1. Using Crispr-Cas the precise tools of the tailor, scientists of IRIrrr, the substance “the stuff”, the stuff “to the substance”, the stuff “to the stuff” to the stuff “to the stuff” to the stuff “to the stuff” to the stuff “to the stuff” “the stuff” “the stuff” “the riceful”. Versions of Sambha Mahsuri and MTU10 and MTU10 and MTU10 and MTU10 and MTU1010 Rice Variety, “The fabric changed” IRRR scientists, for example, use Crispr-Cas technology to a small genetic piece of OSCKX2 in ‘Knock-Out’, a genes in rice that is involved for a cytokine ox oezym Rice plant. By switching off the OSCKX2 gene, the plant collects more cytokinin, which promotes the development of more grains and earlier adulthood.
The Tailor’s Toolkit: CRISPR-CAS Plasmide
With traditional customization, the tailor uses a pattern or chalk overview to know exactly where. They then use scissors to make the precise incisions that are necessary for changes. Likewise, crispr (clustered regularly assembled short palindromic repetitions) plasmide tools for CAS9 expression, guideline of RNA clones and various crispr-base applications such as knockout, oppression or activation, etc. Crispr-plasmide is a system that uses a specific place and a cas9-sevna. An analogy of different components of CRISPR-CAS genome processing such as a tailor toolor is illustrated in Table 1.
Table 1. Comparison of genome processing tools with adjusting toolkit
The custom pattern is the guide -rna (grna)
Before cutting, the tailor uses a very specific pattern or marking. This pattern is carefully designed to match only one exact place on the substance where a change is needed. This pattern is related to guide RNA (GRNA) in crispr. The GRNA is a tailor-made molecule to find and bind a very precise healing, such as the sequence of the intended rice gene OSCKX2 in the vast rice DNA.
The scissors is the CAS -FEAT (CAS9)
The CAS9 protein is the scissors of the tailor who follow that specific pattern or marking and make a clean cut at the right location. Just like a good tailor does not cut too much or too little, scientists who use CRISPR-CAS9 ensure that operations only occur at the intended location, in this case the location of OSCKX2 gene, so that the overall integrity of the DNA strand is retained.
The cutting place: PAM -SEASS
Sometimes the scissors of the tailor require a specific notch or marker to start the cut. When editing genome, this corresponds to the ProtoSpacer adjacent motif (PAM) -a short, specific DNA sequence that the CAS9 protein must recognize before it makes its incision in the vicinity of the targets. The PAM acts as a necessary control point before the OSCKX2 gene is processed.
Create the change: Genome processing in action
As soon as a tailor is cut into the fabric, they have several options. They can remove a poor piece, be packed in new material or even sew parts in a new configuration. Likewise, the DNA from CAS9 takes out the DNA, the natural repair mechanisms of the cell. Scientists can exploit this moment of repair to introduce desired changes, such as correcting mutations, inserting new genes that express a high Oleian or herbicidetolerant gene or harmful damage such as OSCKX2 gene in rice.
The end product: Improved rice varieties
The tailor -made analogy underlines precision and adjustment. A Master-Ondermaker works with intention and care, just like CRISPR-Cas. In contrast to older genetic modification methods, which can randomly introduce foreign genes, CRISPR-CAS enables scientists to make targeted operations without changing the surrounding DNA. The result is improved rice varieties that are more productive, more resilient and better suited for challenging climates, all without absorbing foreign DNA from non -related species that can endanger the international rice trade.
India plays a crucial role in the global rice market. It exported nearly 16.4 million tonnes of both basmati and non-Basmati rice in 2023-24, with a value of around $ 10.4 billion. In addition to other leading exporters such as Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States, India significantly influences the global supply chains. Looking ahead, as India progresses into rice cultivation by the genome in rice cultivation to improve domestic production and to contribute a record-breaking 24 million tonnes to the global rice trade, projected on 59.7 million tonnes by 2025-26.
The future of genetic customization
This precise “genetic customization” of plants takes on crucial challenges in food safety and sustainability, just like how well -processed clothing meets both function and comfort. But just like with customization, precision is important. A misstep can spoil the whole piece. Similarly, any abuse or unintended effects of genome processing, such as off-target mutations that can have serious implications.
That is the reason why ethical considerations, legal supervision and strict scientific protocols such as the Guidelines for genoma-processed factories and the standard operational protocols (SOPs) (SOPs) for plants processed by genome, developed jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (MOT) and the Ministry of Environmental and Climate and Climate and Climate and Climate and the Foreest by the Environmental and Climate and Climate and CCCE and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate and CCC and the Climate and Climate and CCCEtel and Climate and the Environmental and Climate and Climate and CCCENTE and CCMENTE and CC. to edit the responsible use of the Gegenoom.
The authors represent South Asia Biotechnology Center (SABC), Jodhpur
Published on 25 May 2025
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