Crop Biotech Update

January 13, 2021

Expert Proposes Techniques to Address Regulatory Concerns in Gene Editing

Martin Lema, Adjunct Professor at the National University of Quilmes, released an article containing a detailed review of evidence on off-target effects and unintended DNA insertions in gene editing. The document, published in the Journal of Regulatory Science, is a useful resource in proposing concrete regulatory criteria to address the issues.

Chinese Scientists Discover Rice Gene for Adaptation to Low Soil Nitrogen

Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have found a gene that plays an important role in helping rice adapt to low soil nitrogen. Nitrogen fertilizer has an indispensable role in increasing crop yields, but on the other hand, it creates a severe threat to ecosystems. For this reason, breeding new crop varieties with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a high priority for both agricultural production and environmental protection.

Defra Seeks Support for Gene Editing; Launches Consultation

The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is planning to conduct a consultation on gene editing which could unlock substantial benefits to nature, the environment and help farmers with crops resistant to pests, diseases, or extreme weather and to produce healthier, more nutritious food. Secretary George Eustice made the announcement in his speech at the Oxford Farming Conference on January 7, which focused on science.

Breakthroughs in Science Using TALENs

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), a plant breeding innovation, have been successfully used to develop premium quality high-oleic soybean oil, bacterial blight resistant rice, and potato chips with reduced acrylamide.

COVID-19 ALERTS

UChicago Creates First Computational Model of Entire COVID-19 Virus

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Transgenic Chickpeas Exhibit Drought Tolerance, Increased Seed Yield Under Extremely Dry Condition

PLANT BREEDING INNOVATIONS

GM APPROVAL UPDATES

The Philippines approved cotton MON88701 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved corn MON87427 x MON89034 x TC1507 x MON87411 x 59122 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved eggplant EE1 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved corn MON87429 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved rice GR2E for commercial propagation.
The Philippines approved (renewal) corn MON89034 for commercial propagation.

Visit GM APPROVAL DATABASE

The Crop Biotech Update is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a non-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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