Related Keywords: cotton plant, gossypol in the seeds, modified cotton’s seeds, oil- and protein-rich seeds, strain of cotton, white fibers, white lint
Texas A&M’s Keerti Rathore and colleagues inserted DNA into the cotton plant to turn off the gene responsible for producing gossypol in the seeds. The genetically engineered strain still has protective levels of gossypol in its shoots and leaves, but reduced amounts in its oil- and protein-rich seeds, which could potentially be eaten by humans, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) announcement. The team even roasted and ate a few of the seeds; they tasted like chickpeas, Rathore tells.
