European Parliament Rejects National GMO Bans Proposal |
 The European Parliament rejected the draft EU law that allows any EU member state to ban or restrict the sale or use of EU-approved GM product in its territory. Members are concerned that if the law is approved, it would lead to reintroduction of border checks between pro- and anti-GMO countries. They asked the Commission to draft a new proposal about the issue.
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BTI Scientists Develop New Technique to Boost Beta-carotene in Tubers |
 Scientists from Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Donald Danforth Plant Science Center are working towards developing vitamin A-enriched tubers. Assistant Professor Joyce Van Eck of BTI developed a new technique for building up beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, in potatoes. With the help of experts from Danforth, this technique will be used to develop biofortified cassava roots.
The new technique includes inserting of a specially designed DNA segment into the genome of potato to turn off the gene that codes for the enzyme that converts beta-carotene into zeaxanthin, a carotenoid like beta-carotene but cannot be converted into vitamin A. This then leads to accumulation of beta-carotene, in such amount that is enough to satisfy up to 18 percent of a toddler's required daily intake of vitamin A. The team is planning to add more strategies to further increase the levels of beta-carotene.
Van Eck is now working with the Danforth team to transfer the technology to cassava plants. If successful, the vitamin A-enriched cassava will help decrease the number of children with vitamin A deficiency (VAD), particularly in Africa and South Asia where VAD is prevalent.
Read more about the study from BTI.
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Australian Researchers Discover Key Gene to Improve Barley's Drought Tolerance |
 Researchers from The University of Queensland in Australia have identified a key gene in barley that allows the plant to get water stored deep in the soil during drought. Dr. Lee Hickey from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation said that the gene promoted narrow root growth, which allowed the plant to grow roots that penetrate down to water stored deep within the soil.
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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 |
- 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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Pineapple has been cultivated for more than 6,000 years, thriving in water-starved environments. To understand how pineapples grow to be juicy under such conditions, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took a closer look at the plant's 
