The Institute of Genetics and Cytology offers the Plant genome editing Technology (for disease resistance) under a commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or a license agreement and is looking for partners interested in the further development and implementation of this Technology under a technical cooperation agreement.

Genome editing in plants, aimed at increasing disease resistance, is one of the most promising technologies in agriculture.

The importance of plant genome editing:
1. Disease resistance:
- Genome editing allows for precise, targeted changes to a plant's genome, enhancing its resistance to pathogens (fungi, bacteria, and viruses). This reduces crop losses caused by diseases and improves the quality of agricultural produce.
2. Reduced pesticide use:
- Disease-resistant plants require fewer chemical treatments, which lowers production costs and decreases environmental pollution.
3. Accelerated breeding process:
- Traditional breeding methods can take decades to develop resistant varieties. Genome editing can achieve similar results in a much shorter timeframe.
4. Economic efficiency:
- Lowering the costs associated with chemical crop protection while increasing yields makes agricultural production more profitable.
5. Global food security:
- Genome editing helps combat threats posed by plant diseases, which is crucial for ensuring food security at both the national and international levels.

Relevance of this method for Belarus:
1. Importance of agriculture:
- Agriculture is a key sector of the Belarusian economy. Major crops such as potatoes, cereals, sugar beets, and rapeseed are susceptible to various diseases (e.g., late blight, rust, and root rots). Genome editing could significantly enhance their resistance.
2. Climate change:
- Climate change is leading to a higher prevalence of plant diseases. Developing resistant varieties will help minimize crop losses in the face of these new environmental stressors.
3. Export potential:
- Belarus is an active exporter of agricultural products. Developing resilient crop varieties through genome editing will enhance the competitiveness of Belarusian goods in the international market.
4. Reducing reliance on chemical crop protection agents:
- Belarus is committed to adopting environmentally friendly agricultural technologies. Genome editing enables a reduction in pesticide use, aligning with modern environmental safety standards.
5. Developing scientific capacity:
- Belarus is home to research institutions, such as the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB), which are well-positioned to actively participate in the development and implementation of genome-editing technologies.
6. Alignment with global trends:
- Genome editing particularly using CRISPR/Cas9 technology is a rapidly advancing field worldwide. Belarus has the opportunity to integrate into international projects and leverage cutting-edge scientific achievements.

Genome editing of agricultural plants via the CRISPR/Cas9 system allows for precise modifications to genetic material to achieve desired traits, such as improved yields, resistance to diseases and pests, adaptation to adverse environmental conditions, and enhanced nutritional quality. The process involves identifying a specific target site within the genome, designing an sgRNA molecule to guide the CRISPR/Cas9 system to that location, using the Cas9 enzyme to create a double-strand break in the DNA, and subsequently repairing the site—resulting in targeted deletions, insertions, or nucleotide substitutions. This versatile technology can be applied to virtually any plant species, including crops with complex genomes.

This information is featured in the 2024 catalog, "Advanced Developments of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus," on pages 204–205.(in Russian)

The advantages of this technology include high precision, versatility, speed, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional genetic engineering methods.

The technology is on par with global standards.

Benefits of implementing genome editing in Belarus:
- Increased crop yields and improved quality.
- Reduced production costs due to lower chemical usage.
- Enhanced plant resistance to new pathogens and climate-related stressors.
- Development of export potential and improvement of the environmental situation.

Field of application of the development.

Agriculture (crop production) and agrobiotechnology: increasing crop yields, nutritional value, and resistance to diseases, pests, and abiotic stresses; accelerating maturation; and improving transportability.

At the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, a R&D project was carried out:
"Development of vector constructs for potato genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, with the aim of obtaining genotypes resistant to late blight."
The results of this research were used in the implementation of the technology.

The Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is one of the leading research centers in the field of genetics and cytology, providing a wide range of professional services to clients and partners and specializing in high‑quality genetic and cytological research based on modern technologies and advanced methods.

Main areas of research:
– Studying the structural and functional organization of genomes of plants, animals, humans, and microorganisms;
– Studying issues in genetic and cellular engineering;
– Developing the genetic foundations for the selection of plants, animals, and microorganisms.
– Development of genomic technologies for agriculture, healthcare, sports, and environmental protection;
– Study of biosecurity issues;
– Providing services for DNA marking and DNA profiling of plants, animals, humans, and microorganisms;
– Study of the interaction between the genome and the microbiome;
– Bioinformatics;
– Collection and preservation of unique DNA samples as sources of valuable genetic information;
– Monitoring of the genetic resources of the Republic of Belarus, promoting access to genetic resources and the joint use of benefits.
– Provision of services for determining the content of genetically modified ingredients in food raw materials and foodstuffs.

International scientific partnership agreements have been concluded with the Medical Genetic Research Center (Russia), the Estonian Biocenter (Estonia), the Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Poland), the National Institute of Biology of the Republic of Slovenia (Slovenia, Institute of Plant Genetic Resources “K.Malkov", Sadovo of Agricultural Academy (Bulgaria), The Center for Experimental Biomedicine named after Ivane Beritashvili (Georgia), the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), and others.

Official website of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology.

Consumers interested in purchasing the Genome editing technologies for plants (targeting disease resistance) under a commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or a license agreement.

Partners interested in the development and implementation of the Genome editing technologies for plants (targeting disease resistance) under a technical cooperation agreement.