--- title: "CRISPR Creator Says We Could Engineer Species to Fight Climate Change" description: "One of the discoverers of CRISPR gene-editing, a groundbreaking new method to engineer genes, believes we could use the technique to tackle climate change." date: "2022-04-26" modified: "2022-04-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/crispr-engineer-species-climate-change" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "carbon dioxide" - "climate change" - "CRISPR" - "the digest" --- # CRISPR Creator Says We Could Engineer Species to Fight Climate Change ![One of the discoverers of CRISPR gene-editing, a groundbreaking new method to engineer genes, believes we could use the technique to tackle climate change.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Sucking It Up One of the inventors of CRISPR gene editing, a groundbreaking new method to engineer genetic code, believes we could use the same techniques to tackle some of the biggest issues facing humanity right now, including climate change. In a [new interview with *MIT Technology Review*](), Jennifer Doudna, who received a 2020 Nobel Prize alongside colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier for the discovery, said that CRISPR can be used to "enhance" the ability of microbial communities in the soil or water "for carbon capture." The futuristic idea is "potentially high impact" but also "farther out," according to Doudna. "There’s been a lot of focus on clinical medical uses of CRISPR," she told *MIT Tech*. "However, I suspect that over the next decade, when we think about global impact and impact on daily lives, that’s where the uses in agriculture and even to address climate change will potentially have a much broader impact." ## Enhanced Resistance The idea of using CRISPR to [genetically enhance plants' ability to suck up carbon dioxide]() has been around for at least a couple of years. For instance, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies’ Harnessing Plants Initiative is [attempting to amplify plants' root systems]() and production of suberin, their protective shell responsible for storing carbon dioxide. Similar processes could be used to [allow living organisms]() to store more carbon dioxide as well. In addition to allowing plants to store more carbon dioxide, CRISPR could also allow them to become more adaptable to a climate-disrupted future. For instance, scientists at the University of California Berkeley are attempting to modify the genetics of rice, a major source of calories for humans around the globe, to be more resistant to droughts. The research is affiliated with Innovative Genomics Institute, which was founded by Doudna. But the research is still in its very early stages. "This is all very blue-sky at the present time," Jill Banfield, a University of California at Berkeley ecosystem scientist and one of Doudna's closest collaborators, [told *TIME*]() in January. "First, we want to understand the pieces and how they fit together." CRISPR is already proving extremely versatile, and while scientists are excited most of all for its clinical applications, its potentially groundbreaking effects on the global food chain and our efforts to tackle a growing climate crisis shouldn't be underestimated. **READ MORE:** [The scientist who co-created CRISPR isn’t ruling out engineered babies someday]() \[*MIT Technology Review*\] **More on CRISPR:** *[Scientist Who Genetically Modified Human Babies Released From Prison]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()