LU-CAEHS Research Seminar

"CRISPR Technologies for Enhancing Crop Resilience: Lessons from the CRISPR AgBio Congress" 

Global agriculture faces intensifying challenges from climate change, emerging pests and pathogens, environmental stress, resource depletion, and the growing demand to feed nearly 9.7 billion people by 2050. Conventional breeding approaches, often requiring 10–15 years to develop improved cultivars, are increasingly inadequate to address these rapidly evolving pressures. CRISPR-based genome-editing technologies are transforming modern agriculture by enabling precise, rapid, and efficient improvement of key agronomic traits. Drawing on scientific sessions and peer exchanges at the 8th AgBio Congress 2026, this presentation examines CRISPR’s expanding role in enhancing crop resilience against both biotic and abiotic stresses. 

The presentation covers CRISPR technologies, focusing on their applications in enhancing crop quality and addressing biotic and abiotic stresses. It highlights advancements in multiplex genome editing, AI-driven trait discovery, and new crop improvement methods to expedite research commercialization. The presentation covers evolving regulatory frameworks, commercialization pathways, and barriers to broader adoption, such as delivery systems and public acceptance. It will also highlight opportunities for interdisciplinary research and innovation at Lincoln University in climate-resilient crop development, precision breeding, biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture. 

Presented by Dr. Suman Veeramasu, Assistant Professor of Plant Biotechnology

Dr. Suman Veeramasu is an Assistant Research Professor of Plant Biotechnology in the College of Agriculture, Environmental and Human Sciences at Lincoln University of Missouri. His research focuses on plant biotechnology, genome editing, plant breeding, and sustainable crop improvement systems that integrate biological inputs and innovative technologies to support small and underserved farmers. His current research focuses on peanut improvement in Southeast Missouri, including the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, and higholeic
cultivars adapted to emerging production systems in the region. He is also committed to student mentoring and extension outreach through farmer-centered innovation, biotechnology education, and sustainable precision agriculture. Dr. Veeramasu will share insights from the 8th CRISPR AgBio Congress, held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from March 23rd to 25th, and attended through Lincoln University’s FY 2026 Title III Train-the-Trainer Program.

Photo of Dr. Suman Veeramasu