Biotech Updates

Rothamsted Research Submits Application to Defra for Field Trial of Gene-Edited Wheat

May 12, 2021

Rothamsted Research has applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for a license to conduct field trials of gene-edited (GEd) wheat. This application follows the previous Rothamsted Research trials for GM wheat and camelina across two sites in Hertfordshire and Suffolk over the last 10 years.

The project involves wheat with a reduced concentration of the amino acid asparagine in the grain using CRISPR. Asparagine is used to make proteins but its non-protein form is converted to the toxic contaminant acrylamide during baking and high-temperature processing.

The application has a project plan for up to five years, ending in 2026, with plants being sown in September/October each year and harvested the following September.

For more details, read the news article on Rothamsted Research website.


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