Boosting Plant Genome Editing with a Tweaked CRISPR System

Scientists have been tinkering with a tiny, powerful tool called Cas12j-8. This tiny tool, half the size of the commonly used Cas9, can recognize specific DNA sequences, making it great for tweaking plant genomes to improve crops. The catch? It wasn't very efficient in plants. So, researchers decided to give both the tool (Cas12j-8) and its guide (crRNA) a makeover. The result? A supercharged system that worked wonders in soybeans and rice, even tackling sites that were previously untouchable.For some DNA sequences, this new system was as good as the gold standard, SpCas9, and even outshone another variant, nCas12j-2. But that's not all. They also turned this system into a clever base editor, boosting its efficiency by 5. 36 to 6. 85 times, with no unwanted cuts or deletions. So, what's the takeaway? This revamped CRISPR system is a game-changer for plant genome editing, offering both precise cuts and efficient base editing.