Eager to turn genetic engineering into a manufacturing process, an upstart Chicago biotech firm is developing a technique to make seeds that can withstand poor weather as well as produce pest-resistant crops.The technology, developed at the University of Chicago, has the potential to provide a powerful new way to re-engineer plants and seeds.The goal is to create plant strains with many desirable traits--such as a corn plant that grows well in dry soil, resists pests like corn borers and also produces high-protein kernels.
