Hebrew University researcher and Ph.D. candidate Alexander Mazel has been awarded a prestigious Kaye Innovation Award for identifying a gene that helps the Arabidopis plant survive in difficult conditions. His discovery could significantly advance efforts to increase crop yields by genetic engineering.
Various environmental stresses, such as salt water, limited water access, and soil containing heavy metals can significantly lower the productivity of crops. In the Negev, for instance, salty water is an obstacle to farming - but Arabidopis plants in which a certain gene is over-expressed was found by Mazel to grow better than wild plants in inferior soil. Mr. Mazel hypothesized that the gene could have a similar effect on other plants used in agriculture, such as squash, melon, cucumber, and tomato. He also noted that the discovery could have significant environmental effects, in that the plant absorbs cadmium from the soil - and may be able to do the same for other heavy metals.
Various environmental stresses, such as salt water, limited water access, and soil containing heavy metals can significantly lower the productivity of crops. In the Negev, for instance, salty water is an obstacle to farming - but Arabidopis plants in which a certain gene is over-expressed was found by Mazel to grow better than wild plants in inferior soil. Mr. Mazel hypothesized that the gene could have a similar effect on other plants used in agriculture, such as squash, melon, cucumber, and tomato. He also noted that the discovery could have significant environmental effects, in that the plant absorbs cadmium from the soil - and may be able to do the same for other heavy metals.