Genome Editing Supplement

In December 2022, GDM, an Argentinean company working on improving soybeans, announced that Brazil's National Technical Biosafety Commission (CNTBio) has approved its first gene-edited drought tolerant soybean. André Beló, manager of new technologies at GDM, said that the gene-edited soybean was approved by CNTBio in Brazil in May, and greenlighted by the Argentine government in November. The company plans to commercialize the variety in Brazil during the 2027/28 harvest.

Researchers Discover a New Type of CRISPR Gene Scissors

CRISPR-Cas systems have diverse proteins and functions that help protect themselves against foreign invaders. This defense is based on a common mechanism, a CRISPR ribonucleic acid (crRNA), a "guide RNA" that helps detect regions of a foreign genome, such as the DNA of a virus, for targeted cleavage. The CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease directed by a crRNA can cut its target like a pair of scissors, a strategy of nature that humans have harnessed in many technologies.

CRISPR Catfish Exhibits Disease-resistance and Reproductive Confinement Traits

A team of scientists from the United States and the Philippines used CRISPR-Cas9 to establish a sterile catfish line with enhanced disease resistance to fish pathogens while lowering the potential environmental risks of introgression if escape happens. This development improves not only the consumer-valued traits of the fish, but also guards against genetic contamination.

CRISPR Speeds Up Poplar Flowering Time from Decade to Months

Researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) used CRISPR gene-editing to make poplar trees flower within months instead of seven to 10 years. This breakthrough may help speed up breeding trees with improved traits such as cold or drought tolerance. The findings are published in New Phytologist.

Research and Tools

Policy Considerations and Approvals

Brazil and Colombia Approve First Drought Tolerant Gene-Edited Soybeans

The Crop Biotech Update is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. The CBU is distributed for free to over 23,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in agricultural biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.

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