Genome-editing techniques are promising tools in plant breeding. To facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the use of genome editing, EU-SAGE developed an interactive, publicly accessible online database of genome-edited crop plants as described in peer-reviewed scientific publications.
The aim of the database is to inform interested stakeholder communities in a transparent manner about the latest evidence about the use of genome editing in crop plants. Different elements including the plant species, traits, techniques, and applications can be filtered in this database.
Regarding the methodology, a literature search in the bibliographic databases and web pages of governmental agencies was conducted using predefined queries in English. Identifying research articles in other languages was not possible due to language barriers. Patents were not screened.
Peer-reviewed articles were screened for relevance and were included in the database based on pre-defined criteria. The main criterium is that the research article should describe a research study of any crop plant in which a trait has been introduced that is relevant from an agricultural and/or food/feed perspective. The database does neither give information on the stage of development of the crop plant, nor on the existence of the intention to develop the described crop plants to be marketed.
This database will be regularly updated. Please contact us via the following webpage in case you would like to inform us about a new scientific study of crops developed for market-oriented agricultural production as a result of genome editing

Displaying 22 results

Traits related to improved food/feed quality

Parthenocarpy: seedless tomato. Industrial purposes and direct eating quality.
(Klap et al., 2016)
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Agricultural Research Organization, Israel
Reduced phytic acid content in soybean seeds. Monogastric animals are unable to digest phytic acid, making phytic acid phosphorous in animal waste one of the major causes of environmental phosphorus pollution.
( Song et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Dong-A University
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience Biotechnology (KRIBB), South Korea
Starch with an increased amylose ratio and elongated amylopectin chains. In food products, high amylose content and long amylopectin chains contribute to a low glycaemic index (GI) after intake, playing a role in health benefits.
( Zhao et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)
Laboratorio de Agrobiotecnología (INTA), Argentina
Improvement of of functional compounds in tomato fruit, which satisfies the antioxidant properties requirements.
( Kim et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Hankyong National University
Chungbuk National University, South Korea
Reduced nicotine levels. Nicotine is the addictive component in tobacco.
( Jeong et al., 2024 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Nulla Bio Inc.
Gyeongsang National University
Gyeongsang National University 501 Jinju-daero, South Korea
Increased amylose content. Cereals high in amylose content (AC) and resistant starch (RS) offer potential health benefits and reduce risks of diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and certain colon and rectum cancers.
( Sun et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
University of California, USA
University of Liege, Belgium
Glucoraphanin(GR)-enriched broccoli. Broccoli contains important nutritional components and beneficial phytochemicals. GR, a major glucosinolate (GSL), protects the body against several chronic diseases.
( Kim et al., 2022 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Sejong University
Jeonbuk National University
Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology
Asia Seed Company Limited, South Korea
High amylose content. High-amylose starches are digested slowly which could provide increased satiety and reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.
( Kim et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Kyungpook National University
National Institute of Crop Science, South Korea

Traits related to industrial utilization

Jointless tomatoes. Pedicel abscission is an important agronomic factor that controls yield and post-harvest fruit quality. In tomato, floral stems that remain attached to harvested fruits during picking mechanically damage the fruits during transportation, decreasing the fruit quality for fresh-market tomatoes and the pulp quality for processing tomatoes.
( Roldan et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), France
University of Liège, Belgium
Bio-fuel production: Reduced lignin content, improves cell wall composition for production of bio-ethanol.
(Jung et al., 2016)
SDN1
TALENs
Korea University, South Korea
University of Florida, USA
Higher haploid induction rate. Haploid induction allows formation of doubled haploids, which can be used to rapidly fix genetic information.
( Jang et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Chonnam National University
Pusan National University
Kyung Hee University, South Korea
Tailoring poplar lignin without yield penalty. Reduced recalcitrance.
( De Meester et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ghent University
VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology
VIB Metabolomics Core, Belgium
Delayed flowering time.
( Hong et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, South Korea
Increased monounsaturated fatty acid contents (MUFAs). Due to their higher thermal-oxidative stability and viscosity relative to other common fatty acids, MUFAs are preferred for industrial uses, for example as biolubricants and biodiesel fuels.
( Lee et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
National Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Chonnam National University
Plant Engineering Research Institute, South Korea
Reduced lignin content and increased sugar release upon saccharification.
( De Meester et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ghent University
VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Belgium
Early-flowering.
( Jeong et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Department of Biological Science
Seoul National University
Chungnam National University
Institute for Basic Science
Kangwon National University
Kyunghee University, South Korea
Doubled haploids with increased leaf size. Doubled haploid technology is used to obtain homozygous lines in a single generation. This technique significantly accelerates the crop breeding trajectory.
( Impens et al., 2023 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ghent University
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology
Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Belgium
Improve biofuel production by mediating lignin modification. Lignocellulosic biomasses are an abundant renewable source of carbon energy. Heterogenous properties of lignocellulosic biomass and intrinsic recalcitrance caused by cell wall lignification lower the biorefinery efficiency. Reduced lignin content is desired.
( Lee et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)
University of Science and Technology (UST)
Daejeon, South Korea
35% reduction in lignin. Fourfold increase in cellulose-to-glucose conversion upon limited saccharification. Efficient saccharification is hindered by the presence of lignin in the secondary-thickened cell walls.
( de Vries et al., 2021 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Ghent University
VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Belgium
Bioethanol production: Improved saccharification efficiency without compromising biomass yield.
(Kannan et al., 2017)
SDN1
TALENs
University of Florida
Novozymes North America Inc, USA
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), South Korea
Glycoproteins without plant-specific glycans. Plants or plant cells can be used to produce pharmacological glycoproteins, for example antibodies or vaccines. However these proteins carry N-glycans with plant-typical residues [β(1,2)-xylose and core α(1,3)-fucose]. This plant-specific glycans can greatly impact the immunogenicity, allergenicity, or activity of the protein.
( Mercx et al., 2017 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Université catholique de Louvain
Université de Liège, Belgium
Generating male sterility lines (MLS). Using MLS in hybrid seed production reduces costs and ensures high purity of the varieties because it does not produce pollen and has exserted stigmas.
( Jung et al., 2020 )
SDN1
CRISPR/Cas
Hankyong National University
Hanyang University
Sunchon National University
Chungbuk National University
Tomato Research Center, South Korea