A group of workers from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and foreign experts are working on the development of a new technology that will allow them to treat diseases and improve some crops.
The tool named CRISPR-Cas9, allows the treatment of genetic diseases like muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, huntington, leukemia and various types of cancer, as well as pests and diseases that affect crops and animals.
This translates into new therapies for cancer, crops with improvements to produce healthier oils and with resistance to diseases.
According to the researchers in charge of the project, the technology is appropriate for the country, since it is not transgenic, it is easy to use, efficient and economical compared to others. In addition, Costa Rican public universities have the capacity to develop it in a short time and see the first results in a couple of years.
For Dr. Marta Valdez Melara, a researcher at the UCR School of Biology, rice is one of the crops susceptible to be genetically modified to achieve greater resistance to climate change.
The agricultural sector can benefit from now with the development of technology in Costa Rica. Once set up for rice, we can easily use it with other crops of economic interest. This project is very important because climate change is here,”
said Dr. Valdez, coordinator of the activity.
The project obtained a funding of ¢ 0 million from UCR’s University Space of Advanced Studies (UCREA) to develop a variety of drought tolerant rice in Guanacaste to contribute to climate change mitigation and food security.