Scientists at Rothamsted Research have developed a gene-edited wheat variety with significantly reduced levels of asparagine, helping to lower the formation of harmful acrylamide in food.
Using precision CRISPR technology, researchers “knocked out” specific genes responsible for producing the amino acid, achieving up to a 50% reduction in asparagine without compromising crop yields.
This innovation tackles a long-standing issue in the food industry, where naturally occurring asparagine in wheat converts into toxic acrylamide during high-temperature cooking methods such as baking, frying, and toasting. Unlike earlier breeding approaches that often led to reduced yields or weaker crops, the team precisely targeted the asparagine synthetase-2 (TaASN2) gene to limit asparagine production effectively.
The study, conducted with partners including Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology, Technical University of Munich, University of Reading, and Curtis Analytics Limited, compared CRISPR-edited wheat with conventionally developed lines. One advanced version, which also partially disabled the TaASN1 gene, reduced free asparagine levels by up to 93% without affecting yield. In contrast, traditional TILLING-based methods achieved only about a 50% reduction and resulted in nearly a 25% drop in yield.
Lead researcher Navneet Kaur highlighted that the findings demonstrate the potential of precise gene editing to deliver meaningful improvements in crop safety and performance. Beyond industrial benefits, the development represents a significant step toward improving public health by reducing dietary exposure to harmful compounds.
As the UK advances under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, this breakthrough offers a strong example of how gene editing can address complex food safety challenges while enhancing the quality of staple crops.