Can gene-edited microbes replace synthetic fertilizer to feed a growing global population?
In short: Bioengineer Karsten Temme explains how modern agriculture disrupted a natural process where soil microbes provided nitrogen to plants. By using gene editing to reactivate these dormant organisms, we may be able to create living fertilizers that supply essential nutrients directly to crops.
For millions of years, crops thrived by partnering with soil microbes that converted atmospheric nitrogen into usable food. Modern farming practices effectively severed this ancient relationship, leading to a reliance on synthetic alternatives. Karsten Temme suggests that re-engineering these microbes could restore this natural cycle.
Presented at the TED Countdown Summit on June 18, 2025, the talk explores the potential of 'living fertilizer.' By leveraging gene editing, scientists aim to reawaken these microbes, allowing them to deliver nutrients to crops in real time and potentially transforming agricultural efficiency on a global scale.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Tiny Organisms Transforming Farming | Karsten Temme | TED
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