Biotech Updates

In December 2019, Wuhan City in China became the epicenter of a respiratory disease outbreak with mysterious origins, that spread to many countries immediately. To investigate the matter and control the disease roll out, suspected and infected patients were placed in isolation, contact tracings were conducted, and detailed clinical and epidemiologic data were gathered. These efforts led the Chinese experts to find the cause of the disease ̶ a novel coronavirus strain from patient groups in Wuhan. The outbreak is believed to originate from a local market in the City that sells wild animals as food.

Bolivia to Speed Up Evaluation of GM Crops

Interim President Jeanine Añez of Bolivia issued a Supreme Decree authorizing the National Biosafety Committee to speed up the evaluation of genetically modified (GM) events of five crops namely corn, sugarcane, cotton, wheat, and soybeans. The decree was made in response to the country's current quarantine status due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Plants Have Memories, But How Do Plants Forget?

An international research team has uncovered the answer to a decades-old question - how do plants forget? Like humans, plants have memories too, although they do it differently. For example, many plants sense and remember prolonged cold during winter to ensure that they flower in spring. This "epigenetic memory" occurs by modifying specialized proteins called histones, which are important for packaging and indexing DNA in the cell.

International Plant Biotech Experts Weigh in on New Breeding Technology Regulations

A poll involving international plant biotechnology experts was conducted to determine what approach different countries should agree on in order to maximize the full potential of current and future new breeding technologies and its products. A key finding states that product-based models or dual-product/process systems are viewed as potential appropriate frameworks to regulate genome editing products.

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A biweekly update on genome editing research, regulations, and impact
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SCIENCE SPEAKS

Precision Breeding Act Unlocks Key Technologies for UK’s Food Security (March 29, 2023)

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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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