CRISPR/Cas Editing in Relation to Phytoremediation

Abstract

Extensive industrialization and urbanization have led to pollution and the release of toxic material into soil and air. Most of the conventional methods for removal of metal pollutant are time-consuming, labor-, and capital- intensive which makes them uneconomical and hence can be effectively replaced by natural, eco-friendly methods such as phytoremediation. Systematic knowledge of plant–microbe interaction along with the use of gene editing and gene manipulation may increase the phytoremediation efficiency of plants. There exist several gene editing techniques and clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) which are revolutionary tools that enable gene editing and can alter targeted traits in plants. CRISPR-mediated genome editing can be used in gene regulation by repression, and activation is of paramount importance in phytoremediation. CRISPR-mediated genome editing enhances phytostabilization, phytoextraction, phytomining, phytovolatilization, and bioenergy generation