Biotech Updates

The Crop Biotech Update (CBU) staff thanks its subscribers for being part of our effort to share global developments in crop biotechnology. This is the last issue for the year and we will resume on January 6, 2016.

Kenya National Biosafety Authority Receives Public Comments on Bt Cotton Environmental Release Application

The Kenya National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has formally received comments from the public as it embarks on analyzing feedback for consideration of the application for environmental release (open cultivation) of Bt cotton in Kenya. The public forum that took place on December 11, 2015, comes four months after Kenya Agricultural Research Organization (KALRO) filed a similar application for insect protected maize under the WEMA – Water Efficient Maize for Africa project.

China Shares Biotech Commercialization Experience with Developed Countries

Over 60 representatives from Chinese government, academia, media, industry and Embassies of USA, Canada, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil gathered in Westin Hotel, Beijing, China on December 8, 2015 to promote biotech risk communication experience-sharing, strengthening communication and cooperation between government, academia, media and the industry in the dissemination of biotechnology.

Zambia National Biosafety Authority Launched

The Zambian government has launched the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), whose core business is to regulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or products of GMOs in the country. The launch that took place on November 26, 2015 at Radisson Blu Hotel, in Lusaka was officiated by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Michael Kaingu who said that the National Biosafety Authority is now fully functional in order to ensure that Zambia benefits from the safe application and use of modern biotechnology.

Scientists Sequence Walnut Genome

Scientists at the University of California, Davis have sequenced the genome of a commercial walnut variety, Chandler, the first reference genome sequence for a nut crop. The information will help accelerate the rate of breeding and variety improvement in walnuts and help breeders select for desired traits such as insect and disease resistance, and drought tolerance.