Biotech Updates

USDA Declares Gene-edited Mushrooms as Unregulated

April 20, 2016

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will not regulate the genetically modified white button mushrooms developed using CRISPR-Cas9. According to USDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) does not consider the CRISPR/Cas9-edited white button mushrooms to be regulated because it does not contain foreign DNA from plant pests such as viruses or bacteria.

The CRISPR/Cas9-edited white button mushrooms can resist browning, thus improving the appearance and shelf life of mushroom, and allowing automated mechanical harvesting. The anti-browning characteristic was expressed by deleting some genes that code for polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme that causes browning.

Get more details from APHIS and Nature.