Containment of genes is a serious concern when growing gene-modified (GM) crops because gene flow of foreign genes from GM crops can create pathogen-resistant weeds or genetic pollution among other crops. However, having crops with increased resistance to pathogens or reducing mycotoxin contamination caused by fungi remains a desirable objective. Earlier, Henry Daniell showed that transformation of the chloroplast genome could be engineered with useful genesthat would not drift to weeds and other crops because plastid DNA, maternally inherited, is lost during pollen maturation. Whereas chloroplast transformation has been used before to generate biopharmaceuticals, and herbicide- and insecticide-resistant crops, transforming the plant chloroplast to produce toxins that would protect plants from attack by bacterial and fungal parasites had not been reported until now.
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