{"id":11032,"date":"2021-04-26T11:20:20","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T10:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=11032"},"modified":"2021-04-26T11:20:20","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T10:20:20","slug":"grasses-take-evolutionary-shortcut-lateral-gene-transfer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/grasses-take-evolutionary-shortcut-lateral-gene-transfer\/11032\/","title":{"rendered":"Grasses take evolutionary shortcut with lateral gene transfer"},"content":{"rendered":"
Grass crops can bend the rules of evolution by borrowing genes from their neighbours \u2013 in a process called lateral gene transfer \u2013 giving them a competitive advantage.<\/h2>\n
A new study, led by researchers at the University of Sheffield, demonstrates that grasses can assimilate DNA from neighbouring species into their genomes through a process known as lateral gene transfer.<\/p>\n
The borrowed genetics give the grasses an evolutionary advantage and enable them to grow bigger, faster, and stronger, as well as giving them the ability to adapt to new environments more quickly.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s findings could aid future research in creating crops that are more tolerant to the effects of climate change and help tackle food security<\/a> problems.<\/p>\n