Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

CRISPR might be the banana’s only hope against a deadly fungus

Researchers are using the gene-editing tool to boost the fruit’s defences and prevent the extinction of a major commercial variety.
  1. Amy Maxmen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

The race to engineer the next-generation banana is on. The Colombian government confirmed last month that a banana-killing fungus has invaded the Americas — the source of much of the world’s banana supply. The invasion has given new urgency to efforts to create fruit that can withstand the scourge.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 574, 15 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02770-7

References

  1. Paul, J. Y. et al. Plant Biotechnol. J. 9, 1141–1148 (2011).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Huang, C. Y. et al. Cell Host Microbe 26, 173-182 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links