Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a gene which, when introduced into trees and plants, can produce greatly accelerated growth. The result is a reduction  in growth time for plants and trees by one-third to half of the normal time
required.

Among other things,  this could provide a possible solution for the  rapid
restoration of forests that have been depleted in order to supply the  world’s  growing demand for wood and paper. The process can also be applied to accelerate growth for a number of everyday agricultural products, such as cotton, potatoes and corn.

The discovery was made by a Hebrew University research team  headed
by Dr. Oded Shoseyov of the Hebrew University,s Faculty of Agricultural Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot. For his work, Dr. Shoseyov received one of the Kaye Prizes for Innovations and Inventions that were awarded Tuesday during the Hebrew University Board of Governors meeting.  The Kaye Prizes, awarded each year to Hebrew University researchers and technical staff, are sponsored by Isaac and Myrna Kaye of Britain.
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The process developed by Dr. Shoseyov and his team involves inserting
into plants a gene known as CBD (Cellulose Binding Domain), which
produces a protein that acts as a kind of "biological glue" that binds to
cellulose, the most abundant material in the biosphere. This technology can be used to accelerate plant growth and to attach different kinds of
molecules to cellulose to achieve a variety of other desired special effects
with potential commercial applications.

Genetic engineering makes it possible to isolate a gene or a portion
thereof from one organism and to introduce it into other organisms,
enabling production of the desired protein. In this case, the CBD gene was  taken from a bacterial source.

Dr. Shoseyov’s discoveries led to the formation of a biotechnology
company which is developing the application of the Hebrew University
technology to commercial uses.