Biotech Updates

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China approved five genetically modified (GM) crops for importation. These GM crops are RF3 canola, originally developed by Bayer and now owned by BASF, Monsanto's glyphosate-tolerant MON 88302 canola, DuPont Pioneer DP4114 corn, Syngenta's SYHT0H2 soybean and Dow AgroSciences' DAS-44406-6 soybean. China had not released approvals for GM crops since July 2017.

ISAAA Announces New SEAsiaCenter Director

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) announces the appointment of Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita as the new ISAAA SEAsiaCenter Director based at the International Rice Research Institute, in the Philippines.

USDA: No GMOs Detected, No Labeling

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard on December 20, 2018. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law, passed by Congress in July 2016, directed USDA to establish this national mandatory standard for disclosing foods that are or may be bioengineered (BE).

Scientists Characterize CRISPR Mutants Targeting Genes Modulating Pectin Degradation in Ripening Tomato

Shelf life is one of the most important quality traits of tomato linked to modifications in cuticle properties and remodelling of the fruit cell walls. Previous studies have shown that a range of pectin degrading enzymes are involved in cell wall remodelling, which mostly involved only one gene.