Accessible Maize Method Could Drive Innovation Forward

New Technique Allows More Labs to Transform Maize Efficiently

Maize is one of the world’s most widely used crops. Its presence is felt in food, fuel, medicine, and pet products. However, efforts to bioengineer maize for modern agricultural needs have been limited by the technical difficulty of working with the crop.

A newly published study offers a breakthrough. Scientists from multiple institutions have improved a method that allows genetic transformation of maize using the central leaves, or leaf whorls, from seedlings. This avoids the need to harvest immature embryos from greenhouse-grown plants.

Traditional maize transformation relies on costly infrastructure and is limited to commercial labs. The new method allows seedlings to be used after just two weeks of growth, making research possible even in basic lab settings.

The study tested this method using two helper plasmids—one commercial and one publicly available. When applied to both common and difficult genotypes like B73, the results were highly effective.

"It's the first step toward making this technique more feasible for labs without greenhouse facilities, as you find in industry," stated Dr. Van Eck. "It lowers the barriers for labs that previously couldn't do maize transformation and, as a result, will push the field of maize research forward."

This approach opens new doors for scientists to explore how genes function in maize and to develop varieties with better yields, stress resistance, and adaptability to changing climates.

Moving forward, the team plans to use this strategy on other maize types with valuable traits. The hope is that more research labs can now participate in maize bioengineering, accelerating innovation in sustainable farming and food production.