Biotech Updates

A research group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) led by Christopher Voigt, the Daniel I.C. Wang Professor of Advanced Biotechnology, has moved closer to developing nitrogen-fixing cereal crops.

International Consortium Sequence Canola Genome

An international consortium of key academic and global seed company leaders from the USA, Canada, Europe, and Israel has successfully sequenced the canola genome. The consortium, led by Dr. Isobel Parkin, research scientist from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and Dr. Andrew Sharpe, director of genomics and bioinformatics from the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) reached a key milestone in completing the full assembly and mapping the genomes of 10 diverse canola varieties cultivated in Canada, U.S., and Europe. The genome assembly and complete mapping were done using Israeli-based genomic big data company NRGene's DeNovoMAGIC technology.

Two-week Old Corn Seedlings' RNA Data Produce Reliable Yield Predictions

Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) used information in the corn's RNA to create models and make accurate predictions of its phenotypic traits prior to the corn's full growth and development. The new information documented in their study can help other researchers understand the mechanisms involved in the plant processes and in the selection of breeding lines with desirable traits without having to go through years of traditional breeding selection.

Precise Base Editing of Acetolactate Synthase Genes Confers Herbicide Resistance in Maize

Researchers from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other institutions reported precise based editing of maize genes using CRISPR-Cas9, leading to development of sulfonylurea herbicide resistance. The results are published in The Crop Journal.