Targeted genetic modification technologies: Potential benefits of their future use in Phytoremediation

Abstract Anthropogenic activities such as industrialization and urbanization has resulted in environmental crisis. The excessive use of the chemical fertilizers, and release of the heavy metal contaminants and drug waste from the industries and medical settings, respectively, has become a bottleneck to environmental sustainability. This situation demands the introduction of modern yet eco-friendly solutions that are cost effective, widely acceptable, and easily applicable. Phytoremediation has emerged as a feasible option owing to the ubiquitous nature of plants and their role in the bringing sustainability. Although few studies are underway to use plants for remediating contaminants and pollutants, their genetic make-up limits their capacity to remediate beyond a certain threshold. Therefore, here we tried to shed light on how new molecular editing toolboxes such as CRISPR-Cas can play a vital role in the editing of the plant genome to increase their capacity for remediation without harming the overall plant growth. Also, we discuss about how CRISPR-Cas can be used for gene knockout, gene replacement, and the multiplexing as well as regulating transcriptome and epigenome in the phytoremediators. Lastly, we have summarized the transgenic plants developed to enhance of the phytoremediation capacity and the tolerance to their toxic environment.