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In boost for agriculture, India exempts gene-edited crops from biosafety assessment
In a bold move with far-reaching consequences for the country’s agricultural development, India’s government has issued an order exempting certain gene-edited plants from stringent biosafety regulations. The move exempts SDN1 and SDN2 plants from the cumbersome and time-consuming regulations currently imposed on the commercialization of genetically modified transgenic crops. Regulators…
Gene-edited cows just secured record-fast FDA approval — here’s why
Old McDonald had a farm, it was GMO. With an oink and a moo and a…that’s about it. Though the technology behind genetic modification has been around since the 1980s, the lineup of genetically modified (GM) food animals has been limited to just one fast-growing fish and a hypoallergenic pig.
Public sector research leading LATAM’s foray into crop biotechnology
Embrapa, a government-funded, Brazil-based company, is challenging the private sector in bringing biotechnology innovations to Latin America. It’s significant that a public research institution is leading Brazil’s foray into genetically engineered crops. It ensures the research being done by Embrapa resonates with the needs of Brazilian consumers and farmers…
RNA vaccines for plants?
The threat of COVID-19 spurred innovation at unprecedented rates. Moderna and Pfizer’s RNA vaccines were approved in about a year. The impact? Hundreds of thousands of saved lives. Similar innovations have been occurring in agricultural research — albeit much more slowly. For the last 10 years, a niche group of…
South Africa should rethink regulations on genetically modified plants
Food security is a global priority — and it is becoming more urgent in the face of climate change, which is already affecting crop productivity. One way to improve food security is to increase crop yields. But this is not easy. Research has shown that in the past…
Young gene editors share hopes for the future of the field
From a ranch in the American Midwest to a farm in India and a takeout lunch restaurant in New York, three young scientists are maintaining their disparate roots in food and agriculture as they pursue gene editing research to address global issues of food security and severe climate change. I’m…
The quest for delicious decaf coffee could whet the appetite for gene editing
Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks, but that cup can come with a price of jitters or sleeplessness. The stimulant in coffee — the thing that gives it its kick and can lead to those jitters — is caffeine and it can be addictive. Decaffeinated coffee is…
5 formas en que la edición de genes está haciendo que los cultivos sean resistentes al clima
Nuestro mundo está experimentando cambios climáticos que han desencadenado una serie de interrupciones de forma general en la producción agrícola y en la seguridad alimentaria. Desde las devastaciones causadas por tifones tropicales, hasta las sequías que son cada vez más generalizadas y severas, parece que la naturaleza está…
Dhruv Patel is daring plants to take a risk
Dhruv Patel is using gene editing tools to research photosynthesis, a process he first noticed in the parking lot of the Los Angeles motel his family managed. Patel observed plant biology in action as his grandmother and mom grew bountiful harvests, particularly vegetables from their faraway village in India. He…