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Scientists at Rothamsted Research have sown one of the world’s first experimental field trials of a genome edited crop in an effort to develop more nutritious plants that can be sustainably grown. The trial — the first to be conducted on genome edited (GE) plants in the United Kingdom…

Some 60 farmers representing 17 nations will gather May 21-25 in Rock Island, Ill., to hone skills that will amplify their voices in the global debate around agricultural biotechnology. This is the second year that the Cornell Alliance for Science is leading the popular international program, which offers…

A few weeks ago, like thousands of other scientists around the globe have done before, I stood up in front of a public audience and “defended” my PhD thesis to a jury of senior scientists. The PhD defense is probably the single-most significant milestone in a career in science. It’s…

Author Mark Lynas, a one-time anti-GMO activist turned biotech advocate, is featured in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio. The 42-minute program starts with a segment on how Wisconsin organic farmers are losing faith in the USDA organic label. Some are disgruntled by the inclusion of hydroponic operations in…

Though anti-GMO activists have long pushed labeling as a way to stigmatize genetically modified foods, America’s draft proposal for labeling such products deftly diffuses that effort with new language and friendly-looking symbols. Two commonly used terms — genetically engineered and genetically modified — would be abandoned in favor of the…

Philanthropist Bill Gates today strongly endorsed new gene editing techniques such as CRISPR, saying they could help humanity overcome some of its “biggest and most persistent challenges” in global health and agriculture over the next decade. “Eliminating the most persistent diseases and causes of poverty will require scientific discovery and…

Image by NHGRI US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today reconfirmed that his agency has no plans to impose new or additional regulation on crops developed through new breeding techniques, such as gene editing. His statement essentially reiterates the same policy that the US Department of Agriculture has followed for…

Biotechnology is rapidly evolving through developments in genome editing and synthetic biology, giving birth to new forms of life. This technology has already given us genetically modified (GM) plants that produce bacterial pesticides, GM mosquitos that are sterile and GM mice that develop human cancers. Now, new biotechnological…

Recently, Italian researchers published a review of studies concluding planting genetically modified (GM) maize (corn) over the past 20 years has increased the agricultural yield of this popular and important staple food. In this context, it is important to remember one of the most popular myths…