Niger Parliament Approves National Biosafety Law |
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The Republic of Niger has taken a bold step in passing the Biosafety Law on October 17, 2019 in Niamey. The country has a population of approximately 23.5 million people and the need to guarantee food security is key for their government. The new law will provide safety measures in research and development with respect to modern biotechnology and for transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) as well as products thereof. Adoption of biotechnology also positions the country to benefit from the fast growing technology by addressing health and environmental safety concerns of its citizens.
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Biotech Soybeans Now Cover 50% of the World's Biotech Crop Area |
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The four major biotech crops — soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola — were the most adopted biotech crops by 26 countries in 2018, according to the ISAAA report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2018. Soybeans lead at 95.9 million hectares, followed by maize (58.9 million hectares), cotton (24.9 million), and canola (10.1 million hectares). Based on the FAO global area for these crops, 78% of soybeans, 76% of cotton, 30% of maize, and 29% of canola were biotech crops in 2018.
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Harvard, MIT Experts Develop New Gene Editing Technology |
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Experts from Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University developed a new gene editing approach by putting together two of the most vital proteins in molecular biology, CRISPR-Cas9 and a reverse transcriptase, into one system. The new system called prime editing is capable of editing mammalian cells in a precise, efficient, and highly versatile fashion. The study was published in Nature.
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A biweekly update on gene editing research, regulations, and impact
produced by ISAAA Inc. |
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| A monthly update on gene drive research and development provided by ISAAA in collaboration with the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research |
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GM APPROVAL UPDATES |
- Brazil approved the wheat event HB4 for commercial cultivation.
- The Philippines approved the eggplant event EE-1 for cultivation
- The USA approved the canola event MON94100 for food and feed.
- Nigeria approved the wheat event HB4 for food and feed.
- The USA approved the corn event MON87429 for food and feed.
- Ghana approved the cowpea event AAT709A for food, feed, and cultivation.
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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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