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Rapeseed can become a better plant-based protein source with the help of gene editing

Published: 27 March 2025
A man holds parts of a rapeseed plant in a lab. He is wearing blue gloves.

In a new doctoral thesis, Oliver Moss shows how he has successfully reduced the levels of glucosinolates, sinapine, and phytic acid in rapeseed lines. This breakthrough paves the way for using rapeseed proteins both as an improved animal feed and as a plant-based protein source for food.

Oliver Moss moved to Sweden from England eight years ago. He earned his master’s degree in Stockholm, worked at Lund University, and then began his PhD studies within SLU Grogrund. At SLU, he has refined a method for silencing genes in rapeseed using CRISPR-Cas.

The research group Oliver is part of has developed a protocol for regenerating rapeseed plants from individual cells, known as protoplasts— a critical step in gene editing.

“I have used this protocol to decrease the amount of antinutritional compounds in rapeseed, and the results look promising. The experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in climate chambers, and the plants appear healthy. The next step is to assess how they perform without these compounds in the greenhouse and the field,” says Oliver Moss.

The compounds have a bitter taste, impair nutrient uptake in animals, and negatively affect their health. They pose a challenge to using rapeseed proteins directly as food. Oliver Moss hopes his research will contribute to a broader use of rapeseed, both in animal feed and as a food source for humans.

In the EU, gene editing is still subject to the regulatory framework for genetically modified organisms (GMO). Currently, negotiations are underway for new legislation on new genomic techniques. Oliver is optimistic.

“It would be nice if the research results could have a practical application rather than remaining purely theoretical,” he says.

Tomorrow, Friday, Oliver Moss will defend his thesis “Enhancing rapeseed seedcake quality for feed and food using CRISPR-Cas RNP gene editing”.

In the future, he wants to continue working with plant breeding.

“If the regulation is changing and gene editing can become largely used in plant breeding, I believe it will develop into a really big research field,” he says.

Facts:

During rapeseed oil production, a by-product known as rapeseed cake is formed. This residue is rich in high-quality proteins but also contains unwanted compounds from the plant, limiting its use today.

In his doctoral thesis Enhancing rapeseed seedcake quality for feed and food using CRISPR-Cas RNP gene editing, Oliver Moss presents a protocol for regenerating rapeseed plants from protoplasts - an essential step in the gene editing of the crop.

Gene editing with CRISPR-Cas, also known as the "genetic scissors," allows for targeted genetic modifications (mutations) in an organism’s DNA without introducing foreign genetic material, distinguishing it from traditional genetic modification.

Using this technique, Oliver Moss has developed rapeseed lines with significantly reduced levels of antinutritional compounds. Glucosinolate content was reduced by up to 64 percent, sinapine by up to 73 percent, and phytic acid by up to 62 percent. These results highlight the great potential of gene editing for improving the nutritional value and agronomic usability of rapeseed cake.

The research paves the way for healthier and more sustainable alternatives for both animal feed and food production.

More information about the dissertation 28 March 2025, at 1 pm in Alnarp.

Oliver Moss´s PhD project is a part of SLU Grogrund´s research about rapeseed: Improving the quality of rapeseed cakes for high-quality feed and food.

The SLU Grogrund webpage.

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