Image: Using the CRISPR gene-editing tool, C.J. Tsai of the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and Franklin College of Arts and Sciences has developed a method that shortens the time it takes a poplar tree to flower, from about seven to 10 years to just a few months. By reducing this timeframe, it can accelerate tree breeding for improved traits, such as cold or drought tolerance. The results were recently published in New Phytologist. The paper also sheds light on how the trees develop reproductive organs and opens doors to new research. Read More: UGA Today Article
