5 Inspiring Men of Israel
January 29, 2017
Shaon Horef – The Sound of Winter
February 2, 2017
NRGene Technologies, specializing in biotechnology and agriculture, claims to have cracked the genome of wild emmer wheat. This is one of the most complex sequences in existence. In fact, it was so tough to map that the previous attempt by a different organization cost about $54 million and failed. In contrast, NRGene spent under $500,000 and cracked it within a month’s time.
What this means for us is that crops worldwide may be produced and improved at a lower cost, and the process will be easier and faster. By enriching wheat, Israel may be able to feed people of starving countries. Dr Assaf Distelfeld of Tel Aviv University says, “Technologically, it’s a tremendous achievement.”
This successful research was the result of a collaboration between a large number of universities in Israel, the US, Turkey, and Germany, as well as the US Department of Agriculture. Read more about this fascinating intiative here or check out NRGene’s website.
