Bread Without Carcinogens Even When Toasted... Made with 'Gene Editing' [Juhyung Lim's Tech Talk]

First Gene-Edited Wheat Cultivation Experiment in the UK
Using DNA Editing Technology CRISPR
Key Technology for Developing Climate-Resilient Crops
Controversy Grows Over 'Gene-Edited Babies'
Experts: "Plant Disease Evolution Accelerates... New Technologies Needed"

Bread baked until the crust is very crispy is known to be harmful to health because some nutrients in wheat transform into carcinogens. However, using genetic engineering technology, it is possible to produce bread that eliminates these substances. / Photo by Wikipedia Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Bread toasted in butter offers a unique flavor, but if it is overcooked or burnt, it can be harmful to health. This is because wheat, the main ingredient of bread, can produce carcinogenic substances when exposed to high heat for too long. But what if it were possible to remove harmful substances by genetically modifying wheat? Scientists are researching this possibility using 'CRISPR,' also known as gene scissors. However, since CRISPR can also be used for ethically controversial practices such as human gene editing, debates continue unabated in the scientific community.

At the end of last month, the UK government approved an experiment to cultivate wheat developed by the genetic engineering research institute 'Rothamsted Research.' This wheat was genetically modified using 'gene scissors,' and this is the first experiment in Europe where genetically modified crops are planted and grown in actual soil.

This special wheat contains a very low amount of a substance called 'asparagine' compared to regular wheat. When asparagine is heated to 120 degrees Celsius, it undergoes a chemical reaction to form acrylamide, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as a 'potentially carcinogenic substance.'

When bread is toasted too much or burnt, acrylamide is produced, posing health risks. However, bread made from genetically modified wheat can be enjoyed without worrying about carcinogens, even when baked or fried.

Jennifer A. Doudna from the United States, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (left), and Emmanuelle Charpentier from France (right) posing together at an event held in Frankfurt, Germany in 2016. / Photo by Yonhap News

Genetically modified crops are created using CRISPR technology, commonly referred to as gene scissors. CRISPR consists of cutting enzymes that cut specific sequences of our body's DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA). After the cutting enzyme cuts a specific part of the sequence, new genetic information can be inserted and attached to that site, allowing for 'DNA editing.'

The possibility of gene editing using CRISPR was first proposed in the 1990s, and in 2012, the first DNA editing technology called 'CRISPR-Cas9' was developed and patented. Jennifer Doudna, a professor at the University of California, and Emmanuelle Charpentier, a professor at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, who developed Cas9, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year for completing the gene scissors. Since then, scientists have been conducting research to edit the genes of animals and plants using Cas9.

However, CRISPR has not always been welcomed. The technology has faced continuous criticism for violating bioethical standards.

In particular, attempts to edit human genes, rather than those of grains or animals, have met with severe backlash. In 2015, a research team led by Junjiu Huang in China published results in a medical journal claiming to have edited the genes of human embryos for the first time in the world. The following year (2016), another Chinese research team attempted to administer Cas9-edited cells to lung cancer patients.

The gene-editing technology CRISPR has also faced controversies regarding bioethics. / Photo by Yonhap News

Ultimately, in 2018, the world's first gene-edited twin girls were born. The Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who led the research, claimed that the procedure gave the girls resistance to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which causes AIDS.

However, He Jiankui was criticized by scientists worldwide for 'crossing human ethical boundaries,' and later, a court in Guangdong Province, China, sentenced him to three years in prison and fined him 3 million yuan (approximately 546.7 million KRW) for illegal medical practice.

Such concerns have extended to genetically edited crops as well. The European Union (EU), one of the world's largest consumer markets, has long prohibited the import and sale of genetically modified crops.

On the other hand, the UK, a biotechnology powerhouse, has sought to ease these regulations and, since Brexit in 2016, has been moving to repeal the EU's ban on genetically modified crops within the UK.

On February 9th (local time), a farmer is walking through a swarm of locusts in the Meru region of central Kenya. This swarm of locusts suddenly appeared in 2019 when the rainy season returned to the East African region after several decades. / Photo by Yonhap News

Recently, however, more countries and experts are increasingly recognizing the potential of genetically modified grains. The main reason is the decline in soil productivity and the increase in pests and diseases caused by climate change. By genetically modifying grains to enhance resistance to pests, diseases, or extreme weather, or to increase nutritional content, it can play a significant role in safeguarding food security against the threats of climate change.

Dr. Nick Talbot of the Sainsbury Laboratory, who researches plant disease resistance, wrote in a recent article for the UK media outlet 'The Guardian' that "the rice blast fungus can destroy enough grain to feed 60 million people annually," and "new plant diseases are evolving rapidly, so to combat them, we need to develop disease-resistant crops."

He added, "In the past, breeding new varieties took a long time, but this alone cannot produce crops that can respond to climate change," emphasizing that "new genetic technologies can play an important role in creating sustainable agriculture."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.