Today, climate change has ushered in a new era of drought – and this time there’s no end in sight.
If Joseph were alive today, he might very well pick up the phone and call Israeli startup PlantArcBio.
This time, it’s based on science, not dreams.
PlantArcBio’s big idea is that at least some of the genes found there can help other plants survive in low-water conditions.
But using computers to match gene to plant is expensive and time consuming, Shalitin tells ISRAEL21c.
Instead of relying on simulations, PlantArcBio collects actual soil and water samples from the Dead Sea area.
“We don’t have to know in advance what genes we have inside the sample,” Shalitin explains.
“The plants with the best genes showed an improvement of 10 to 15 percent” in dealing with drought conditions, Shalitin explains.
Soybeans are particularly important for PlantArcBio – and for the planet.
Needle in a haystack PlantArcBio, which was founded in 2014, has so far identified about 100 genes (out of a million tested) that help plants become more drought tolerant.