Beyond GMOs: transgene-free gene-edited crops for global food security

Abstract

Transgene-free gene-editing has transformed the genomic landscape of crops by enabling targeted, precise, and predictable genetic outcomes without integrating any foreign DNA into the host genome. It has significantly reduced production time and costs, and the regulatory burden for transgene-free gene-edited crops, while improving social acceptance compared with classical transgenic crops. This review compares the transgene-free gene-edited, transgenic, and cisgenic crops. We also focus on core methods for developing transgene-free gene-edited crops, particularly ribonucleoprotein (RNP), transient expression, the transgene killer method, and HI-edit technology. We highlight the practical examples summarizing CRISPR applications for transgene-free gene-edited crops, including cereals, legumes, and oilseeds, and horticultural crops. We also analyze the rapidly evolving global regulatory landscape of transgene-free gene-edited crops, including the recent European Union movement towards differentiated oversight for certain “new genomic techniques (NGTs)” that do not introduce foreign DNA, while maintaining the strict risk assessment for complex modifications. We also summarize the social, ethical, and public perception aspects of transgene-free gene-edited crops compared with traditional GMOs. Finally, we highlight the emerging role of AI in developing precise transgene-free gene-edited crops and the contributions these crops make to global food security. Collectively, this evidence supports the growing role of transgene-free gene-edited crops in scientific developments and real-world agricultural deployment, with remaining bottlenecks in delivery for recalcitrant crops, scalable and universal regulation, detection and traceability of the Cas footprints, and equitable access.