Italy Launches First Field Trial of Gene-Edited Risotto Rice
June 20, 2024| |
Researchers from the University of Milan have initiated the first field trial of gene-edited crops in Italy for a new rice variety named “RIS8imo,” a modified version of the Italian Arborio rice commonly used in risotto.
Researchers targeted three genes exploited by the rice blast fungus and removed small parts of the DNA code to render them ineffective for the pathogen. Small fragments of DNA were removed from RIS8imo to enhance its resistance against the rice blast disease, a severe threat to cereal crops globally.
The new field trial, launched on May 13, 2024, at a farm near Pavia in Italy, covers 28 square meters, marking a significant leap in European biotechnological research. The field trial is also the result of a fruitful collaboration between Vittoria Brambilla and Fabio Fornara of the University of Milan, Sophien Kamoun from The Sainsbury Laboratory (Norwich, UK), and Thorsten Langner from the Max-Planck-Institute for Biology in Germany.
For more details, read the news article on The Sainsbury Laboratory website.
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