| Task name | Research on improving rice varieties in terms of micronutrients using biotechnology. |
| Announcement date | 01/10/2026 |
| Management level | National level |
| Principal investigator | TS. Lê Quỳnh Mai |
| Summary | On the afternoon of December 23, 2025, the Ministry of Science and Technology held a meeting of the Council for evaluating and accepting the results of the science and technology task under the Protocol "Research on improving rice varieties in terms of micronutrients using biotechnology" – code NDT/CN/21/24. The Council for evaluating and accepting the science and technology task under the Protocol "Research on improving rice varieties in terms of micronutrients using biotechnology" – code NDT/CN/21/24 consisted of 9 members, chaired by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Institute of Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and vice-chaired by Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Long, Vietnam Plant Breeding Association. The project "Research on improving rice varieties in terms of micronutrients using biotechnology" was implemented from July 2, 2021, based on Decision No. 959/QD-BKHCN dated April 26, 2021, of the Minister of Science and Technology, approving the lead organization, project leader, funding, and implementation time of the science and technology project according to the Protocol. Accordingly, the project was carried out under the leadership of the Faculty of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, with Dr. Le Quynh Mai as the project leader. The main objective was to improve the micronutrient content (increasing Fe/Zn content) and reduce Cd content using genome editing technology, aiming to enhance the value of rice. The project applied CRISPR/Cas9 technology, with the main advantages of precise intervention at the desired location on the genome, high specificity, and limited amount of foreign DNA present in the edited lines. Council members commented on the project: After 48 months of implementation, the project has achieved remarkable results: – Four CRISPR/Cas9 constructs with genome editing elements related to increased micronutrient (Fe/Zn) accumulation and reduced heavy metal (Cd) uptake were designed for genome editing of the target rice variety TBR225. Specifically, the edit constructs for the target genes OsNRAMP2 and OsNRAMP5 were designed with the goal of inducing gene mutations; the construct using CRISPR's homologous repair system to enhance OsNRAMP7 gene expression; and the construct using Cas9's binding activity without its shearing activity for the target gene OsYSL2. – A genome editing procedure related to micronutrients in rice was established based on the research of the OsNRAMP5 gene editing procedure in the TBR225 rice variety. The process achieved a regeneration efficiency of 16.51% (calculated based on the total number of callus tissues), a gene transfer efficiency of 38.46% (calculated based on the total number of regenerated plants), and a target gene editing efficiency of 30% (calculated based on the total number of plants carrying the transferred gene). – Three OsNRAMP5 mutant rice lines with reduced Cd content and one OsNRAMP7 enhanced rice line with increased Fe and Zn content and reduced Cd content were obtained. Seed samples of the gene-edited rice lines – products of the project. During the implementation process, the project published four articles in international journals listed in the Scopus database.The project resulted in 3 articles published in domestic scientific journals and 1 full paper in the Proceedings of the National Biotechnology Conference; it also successfully trained 3 master's students. As a project under a protocol, it promoted enhanced international cooperation, particularly with Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, China. The partner provided materials and technical support to enable the research team to initially implement polygene editing, a promising research direction in the field of plant breeding and development. The Vietnamese project leaders were Dr. Le Quynh Mai and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chen Xi, Vice-Dean of the College of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University. The members of the evaluation committee highly appreciated the results achieved by the project team, noting that the products were complete in terms of type, quantity, and quality compared to the order, and that the scientific publications and training exceeded the requirements. Based on that, all 9/9 members of the council unanimously agreed to approve the project with a "Satisfactory" rating. The council members also provided valuable feedback to help the research team revise and finalize the dossier for submission to the Ministry of Science and Technology for a decision on recognizing the project's results. |
| Application results | |
| Contact | Ministry of Science and Technology |
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