Jaroslav Dole??el, Czech plant geneticist and founder of an emerging
branch of genomicsknown as chromosome genomics, stated that new breeding
techniques, particularly genome editing tools that allow the precise
change of the DNA structure, is key in ensuring that there is enough
food for the growing global population.

Dole??el, the Scientific Director of the Center of the Region Han?? for
Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, gave his statement during
the conference on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Gregor Mendel
held in Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic on July 20, 2022. He
emphasized that growing genetically modified(GM) crops is part of the
solution to avoid food shortages. �??We simply cannot do without genetic
modifications. Cultivation of crops with a modified genome and resistant
to diseases and pests will make it possible to dramatically reduce the
burden of pesticides on the environment and will be one of the key
measures leading to sustainable agriculture,�?� he said.

Dole??el also said that GM plants are being prevented by legislation that
applies to the European Union, but the European Commission is planning
to create a legislative framework for new genomic techniques following
the realization of the unsustainability of the current agricultural
situation. He added that the number of countries that cultivategenome
editingvarieties are increasing resulting to the establishment of new
biotech companies with crops that are beneficial to both the farmers and
consumers.

Dole??el founded the new branch of genomics called chromosome genomics, a
widely applied branch of genomics that study the structure and evolution
of the hereditary information of plants and in the mapping and isolation
of important genes. He is also involved in the research of reading the
complex genomes of economic crops like wheat.

[mendelu.cz]