CRISPR Technologies for Plant Biotechnology Innovation

The invention of CRISPR/Cas technologies and its rapid advancement enables us to modify plant genomes like never before. The Conventional CRISPR/Cas tool has an unparalleled ability to generate targeted mutations in the genome. In contrast, advanced tools like the base editor can perform single DNA letter swap, and prime editing can generate precise insertion or deletion or DNA letter swapping. This chapter intends to provide the readers with the basics of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing (GE) technologies, a brief introduction to various CRISPR-derived advanced tools, and how they are implemented to generate site-specific DNA modifications for plant biotechnological applications. In addition, we highlight how genome-edited crops are different from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).