Still, Burke pointed out that “there are numerous suggestions as to how to minimize the risk of transgene escape.” In one such strategy, many plant biologists are developing ways to keep genetically modified crops from sowing their seeds where some farmers don’t want them. But gene-containment strategies have drawbacks because all such methods currently tend to be “leaky,” according to Burke.

An alternative approach would be to offset the advantage provided by an engineered gene by inserting it into the plant’s DNA in close proximity to a crop gene that is potentially harmful under natural conditions. “Rather than attempting to stop the initial escape of an engineered gene, one might neutralize their effects by linking them to genes that are good for crops but bad for wild plants,” said Mark Chapman, a postdoctoral researcher in Burke’s lab.

For example, a programmed genetic tendency not to disperse seeds is advantageous in a crop field where plants need to hold their seeds until harvest. But this same trait is clearly a disadvantage in the wild, where the ability to spread seeds without difficulty is important to the species’ spread. By handicapping that genetic trait, it could safely be applied to domesticated crops.