Genetically engineered bananas—From laboratory to deployment

Abstract

Since the first two successful transformation events in banana were reported in 1995, considerable effort has been invested to develop new cultivars with improved tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and with enhanced nutrient levels, primarily using Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation and particle bombardment. In addition to many promising laboratory‐based studies, several genetically engineered banana cultivars have been trialled in the field. However, the deployment of genetically engineered varieties of bananas lags behind that of other major crops and there has been no commercial plantation. This article provides a review of advances in the genetic engineering of banana with an overview of noteworthy developments in several programmes that are being conducted worldwide. We identify the main challenges to translating the full potential of genetically engineered bananas for human consumption as the intellectual property issues surrounding the technology, public perceptions towards the adoption of the transformed bananas as well as various regulatory hurdles that hold the technology development from moving forward.

Assessment of root-specific promoters in banana and tobacco and identification of a banana TIP2 promoter with strong root activity

“…Genetic modification is an alternative approach to improving existing banana cultivars without affecting key farmer- and consumer-preferred traits. Since the development of efficient banana transformation protocols ( May et al., 1995 ; Sági et al., 1995 ), there have been numerous reports on the development of banana plants with improved nutritional content as well as resistance to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses ( Ghag and Ganapathi, 2017 ; Paul et al, 2017 ; Pua et al., 2019 ; Tripathi et al., 2019 ). In 2017, we reported the generation of several Cavendish banana lines with Foc TR4 resistance following a three-year field trial in a heavily Foc TR4-infested site in the Northern Territory, Australia ( Dale et al., 2017a ).…”

Proteomic analysis of banana xylem sap provides insight into resistant mechanisms to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4

“…Banana conventional breeding is di cult to use because most cultivars are triploid, sterile and parthenocarpic [20]. Genetically modi ed banana is a perfect alternative for banana improvement [21][22][23]. Recently, transgenic Cavendish bananas which transformed with a resistance gene analogue 2 (RGA2), from a TR4-resistant wild diploid banana, remained healthy in 3-year infected eld trial [24].…”

Handling Ethics Dumping and Neo-Colonial Research: From the Laboratory to the Academic Literature

“…Corporate interests in HICs might drive ED-based research by seeking to test programmes in LICs, such as genetically modified (GM) crops (Pua et al 2019 ) including fruit and other foods (van Niekerk and Wynberg 2018 ), GM mosquitoes to fight malaria (Bassey-Orovwuje, Thomas, and Wakeford 2019 ; Doshi 2020 ; Famakinde 2020 ), or GM technologies to control parasites (Du et al 2021 ). The implementation of project goals might include “good for humanity” propaganda to gain public support or financing in HICs, but might involve ED to achieve those goals (Bassey-Orovwuje, Thomas, and Wakeford 2019 ).…”