Scientists have proposed using gene modification to revive the American chestnut tree, which was nearly driven to extinction by a fungal blight in the early 20th century. The genetic engineering approach aims to make the trees resistant to the blight, potentially restoring a once-dominant species in eastern U.S. forests.
Scientists have proposed using gene modification to revive the American chestnut tree, which was nearly driven to extinction by a fungal blight in the early 20th century. The genetic engineering approach aims to make the trees resistant to the blight, potentially restoring a once-dominant species in eastern U.S. forests.
Scientists have proposed using gene modification to revive the American chestnut tree, which was nearly driven to extinction by a fungal blight in the early 20th century. The genetic engineering approach aims to make the trees resistant to the blight, potentially restoring a once-dominant species in eastern U.S. forests.
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A bold proposal to revive the nearly extinct American chestnut through gene modification has emerged. The plan, first reported by USA Today on July 8, 2026 [^1], outlines a genetic engineering approach to restore the iconic tree, which was decimated by blight in the early 20th century. By modifying genes to confer blight resistance, scientists hope to bring this keystone species back to Eastern forests.