Biotech Updates

We summarized the top 10 most trending Crop Biotech Update news shared on social media to give you a glimpse of crop biotech happenings in 2019. Read it on ISAAA blog and make sure you don't miss which news made it to the number one spot.

ISAAA: More than 70 Countries Adopted Biotech Crops since 1996

Since the first year of commercial planting of biotech crops in 1996, more than 70 countries from all over the world have either planted or imported biotech crops. In 1996, the six founder biotech crop countries, the USA, China, Argentina, Canada, Australia, and Mexico, planted these crops in a total of 1.7 million hectares.

CRISPR-Cas12a-based DNA Test Used in Disease Detection and GMO Identification

DNA test is widely used for disease detection and identification of GMOs. However, DNA test is expensive and there is a need to develop a rapid, low-cost, user-friendly, and field-deployable DNA test method. Huazhong Agricultural University scientists developed a CRISPR-Cas9-based DNA detection method and the results are released in Molecular Breeding.

Scientists Engineer Mosquitoes to Repel Dengue Virus

An international team of scientists led by Associate Professor Omar Akbari's Lab at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) has engineered mosquitoes that stop the transmission of the Dengue virus. The UC San Diego Lab worked with colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in identifying a broad spectrum human antibody for Dengue suppression. The development marks the first engineered approach in mosquitoes that targets the four known types of Dengue, improving upon previous designs that addressed single strains.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

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CRISPR-Cas12a-based DNA Test Used in Disease Detection and GMO Identification

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

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SCIENCE SPEAKS

ISAAA Inc. Launches Registration for the 8th Asian Short Course on Agribiotechnology, Biosafety Regulation, and Communication (ASCA8) (July 9, 2025)

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GM APPROVAL UPDATES

The Philippines approved the canola event LBFLFK for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved the cotton event GFM cry1A for commercial cultivation.
Brazil approved the wheat event HB4 for commercial cultivation.
The Philippines approved the soybean event GMB 151 for food, feed, and processing.
The Philippines approved the eggplant event EE-1 for cultivation
The USA approved the canola event MON94100 for food and feed.

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Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in 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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