The Plant Small RNA Biotechnology Group, led by Alberto Carbonell, has developed a pioneering technique that enhances the effectiveness of plant vaccines without the need to modify their genetic material.
The technique, called syn-tasiR-VIGS, uses a harmless virus as a vehicle to introduce short synthetic RNA fragments (syn-tasiRNAs) into plants via a spray application. These fragments activate the plants’ natural defense mechanisms, silencing specific genes without causing side effects.
In trials conducted with Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana, the technique proved effective by completely protecting the plants from tomato spotted wilt virus with a single spray. This breakthrough offers a sustainable, non-GMO alternative to improve crop performance and resistance to pathogens.
The study has been published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, and the technology is currently under patent application at the European level. You can learn more about this innovation and see it explained by Alberto Carbonell himself at the following link:
