Chapter 6 - Nanomaterials for gene delivery and editing in plants: Challenges and future perspective

Abstract

The molecular genetic nanotechnology of several plants might address the crucial obstacle of cultivating adequate nutrition and organic product therapeutics for a growing worldwide population living within varying climatic circumstances. Nanomaterial-based gene delivery has shown encouraging uses for transgene delivery in plants. The delivery of genetic materials in plants has improved agriculture and plant biology. Plant gene delivery is regarded as one of the primary technologies for crop advancement and disease control. Diverse techniques applied for genetic material transformation contain viral gene delivery vectors, microinjection, the agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and microprojectile bombardment. These methods had minor efficiency for plant transformation. Inorganic nanoparticles were utilized to increase the efficiency of genetic transformation vehicles. For example, nanogold (sized, 5–25nm) has transferred DNA to plant cells. This action assists in the improvement of accuracy farming by raising the value of the farming practice. In our review, we discuss the applications of nanostructured compounds such as quantum dots, silica, and magnetic nanoparticles in gene delivery tools. Some roles and applications of nucleic acids–nanoparticle hybrid structures are mentioned. Some of those functions represent viable technologies such as gene transfer while others are in an embryonic stage such as genome editing in plants, and require additional essential studies.