A weekly summary of the world developments in agri-biotech, produced by the ISAAA Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology.
Crop Biotech Update
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August 14, 2019
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USDA Approves Verdeca's HB4® Drought Tolerant Soybeans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given its approval to Verdeca for HB4® drought tolerant soybeans which will allow for commercialization in the U.S. market. The USDA approval comes two years after the U.S. Food and Drug administration approved Verdeca's HB4 trait in 2017.

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Parasitic Plants Get a Boost from Stolen Genes
Researchers from Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Kennesaw University in the US, discovered that parasitic plants steal genes from their host plants and use it to efficiently absorb nutrients from their host. The study focused on the parasitic plant dodder, which has stolen a huge quantity of genetic material from its host plants, including over a hundred functional genes. These genes contribute to the dodder's ability to attach better to its host and siphon its nutrients.

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Rothamsted Research Responds to UK PM's Pledge on GM Crops
A year after the European Court of Justice ruled that genome editing technology should be classified as being the same as genetic modification, Professor Achim Dobermann, Director and Chief Executive of Rothamsted Research, responded to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pledge "…to liberate the UK's extraordinary bio-science sector from anti-genetic modification rules and...develop the blight-resistant crops that will feed the world."

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New Zealand Scientific Body Pushes for GE Regulation Update
A panel convened by the Royal Society Te Apārangi has concluded that New Zealand's (NZ) genetic engineering (GE) regulations need to be updated to cope with the rapid advances of the technology. The findings of their investigation were summarized into several reports that defines what is now considered genetic modification and weighs in the benefits and risks of each specific application.

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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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