Biotech News

A referendum campaign banner in Ollon, Switzerland, against the use phytosanitary products ahead of a vote on banning the use of pesticides in Swiss agriculture. Credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images This article or excerpt is included in the GLP’s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news, opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation. Voters in Switzerland on…

Activist groups which oppose so-called ‘genetically modified organisms’ (GMOs) frequently affirm that they want to fight corporations and capitalism. While I do not discuss whether this legitimate ideological-political attitude is good or bad, right or wrong, I try to show that such avowed anti-industrial struggle in the field of green biotechnologies not only fails to…

Inari, a startup specializing in seed technology, has reached a $1.2 billion valuation after raising $208 million in fresh financing. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company’s funding round was co-led by Flagship Pioneering, which founded the firm. New investors included G Squared and Pavilion Capital, while participating existing backers include Alexandria Venture Investments, Investment Corp. of Dubai,…

Developments in regulations of genome-edited plants are rapidly changing and continue to evolve as more countries firm up their regulatory policies. This is according to the Transgenic Research article authored by international biotech experts. The article presents the latest legal and regulatory developments in various jurisdictions including Canada, Argentina, Brazil, the USA, Kenya, Nigeria, South…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is extending deregulation to J.R. Simplot Company’s (Simplot) potato variety developed using genetic engineering, designated as Snowden Z6 (Z6 potato). The potato variety is engineered for late blight protection, lowered reducing sugars, low acrylamide potential and reduced black spot bruising. APHIS previously…

The Sicilian Rogue High GABA tomato, developed by Japan’s Sanatech Seed, is said to help lower blood pressure. Rich with amino acid, the new variety is expected to help lower blood pressure; 5,000 home gardeners in Japan will grow the tomato in May this year Japan has launched a tomato variety rich with amino acid…

Health Canada has declared that gene-edited crops are safe. On March 25, the department launched a public consultation for what it’s calling a “Proposed new guidance pieces for the Novel Foods Regulation, focused on plant breeding.” In simpler terms, Health Canada is proposing new rules to deal with plant breeding innovation, including gene-edited crops. To…

How the latest breeding techniques are saving the taste of our most cherished grape vine varieties European Seed (ES): Could you tell me a bit more about your project? Michele Morgante (MM): We started 21 years ago at the University of Udine with a program to create new wine grapevine varieties resistant to powdery and…

While the climate change crisis is nothing new, the agriculture industry is constantly finding ways to play their part in the solution. Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland. Biotechnologist Dr. Karen Massel from UQ’s Centre for…

This article or excerpt is included in the GLP’s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news, opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation. By almost any metric, the American chestnut was a perfect tree. Massive, fast-growing, and rot-resistant, it was easy to mill into cabin logs, furniture, fence posts, and railroad ties. But the dominance wouldn’t…