A potential labeling mishap has caused a setback in a multi-year effort to resurrect the American chestnut tree from extinction using genetic engineering, the Washington Post reported.
Looking at the farm at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where the engineered trees were growing, scientists realized the wrong variety of chestnut had been planted, “with the gene inserted into the wrong spot,” according to the report. The variety that was planted may be too short to survive the competition for sunlight in the wild.
The error—credited to a possible labeling mistake—caused the nonprofit American Chestnut Foundation to yank its public and financial support for the line of chestnut trees, which was hoped to be released to the public for distribution as seeds.
Scientists at SUNY ESF argue that the line still has a chance and hopes to move forward with it.
