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Over the past couple of decades, Western consumers have shown an increasing appetite for more ethical eggs. The European Union and a number of American states have banned the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens and the cage-free egg market segment has been…

Ugandan scientists have begun moving gene extracts into cassava cells in a first-of-its-kind research trial using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool to develop varieties that can resist cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). “We are not only looking at disease resistance,” Dr. John Odipio, a plant biotechnologist and gene editing expert…

A team of California plant scientists has taken a CRISPR-Cas9 approach to develop more nutritious varieties of rice. Their research, published today in Nature Communications, demonstrated that CRISPR-Cas9 can be successfully used to biofortify rice with carotenoid, a precursor to the essential nutrient vitamin A. Previous research has demonstrated…

Climate change threatens many coral reefs and other native species, fish, and livestock. Scientists are working to address these issues by adapting the gene editing technology known as CRISPR for use in animals.

CRISPR is an extremely powerful gene editing tool that has already made huge waves in plant research. We can potentially use CRISPR to make hardier crops, engineer produce in ways that directly benefit consumers and address climate change. But while CRISPR is often described as “cut and paste” for…

Five ways CRISPR can shrink agriculture’s climate emissions and prepare crops for climate change.

CRISPR/Cas9‐based genome editing is offering new hope for protecting a critical food security crop by developing climate-smart banana varieties. Research to identify the genes associated with stress‐tolerant traits and other uses of gene editing and genetic engineering to help banana varieties adapt to a changing climate is highlighted in an…

First came the IPAs and then the double IPAs, triple IPAs, and imperial IPAs. The theme? More hops. Like most hipsters, I love a good hoppy beer. So I was disappointed to learn that hops are not environmentally friendly. Fortunately, scientists are brewing up new ways to decrease the…

If you’ve been stunned by all the alarming reports of gene-edited babies, you might have the impression that the only purpose of CRISPR, the genetic technology that enables biologists to edit DNA, is meddling with the human genome. You may be relieved to learn, as I know I was, that …