Biotech News

EU Parliament: A Positive Vote for Innovation and Plant Breeding

February 15, 2024

The European Parliament’s vote in support of new genomic techniques, marks a significant step forward for agricultural innovation and sustainability in Europe, according to a press release from Euroseeds. The plenary vote backed the “adoption of these cutting-edge technologies, recognizing their potential to revolutionize farming practices while ensuring food security and environmental stewardship.” The European Parliament’s affirmative…

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Tomatoes ready for harvest in 40 days? Gene edited prototypes could transform one of the world’s most popular fruits

February 3, 2024

Scientists have just genetically modified cherry tomatoes to make them easier to grow, and the future applications could include making them more viable for indoor farming and even space travel, their creators say. The scientists, working out of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, used a gene-editing technology called CRISPR to make changes to three key genes within the cherry tomatoes’ DNA. Two…

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Disease is poised to wipe out much of Africa’s rice crop. Still-unapproved gene edited varietals may be the only hope

February 3, 2024

A new study has found that CRISPR technology can be used to edit genes in some strains of rice, developing resistance. Rice is a key staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 60% of rice produced consumed there. However, the Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV) causes a disease that has the propensity to wipe out…

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UK company creates bananas that don’t turn brown

January 23, 2024

Bananas turning brown is a natural process that occurs over time as the fruit overripens and produces too much ethylene. The turning of yellow pigments to brown is called enzymatic browning and is aided by high amounts of ethylene. While there have been no known health issues arising from eating bananas that have turned brown,…

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How China’s GMO rice is making salinated land arable for cotton and other seasonal crops

November 12, 2023

On the rim of Xinjiang’s desert, in a region where the soil is so salty that most vegetation refuses to grow, China is touting rising outputs of salt-tolerant rice as further evidence that its food-security drive has taken root. Beijing expects rising yields of genetically modified crops, especially in remote and rural areas where arable…

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Another GMO approval: Philippines approves commercial growing of Bt insect resistant cotton

September 12, 2023

The Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry issued a Biosafety Permit for the Commercial Propagation of Bt cotton (GFM cry1A) developed by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA). The permit was granted to PhilFIDA after completion of the biosafety evaluation and the requirements for commercial propagation based on the DOST-DA-DENR-DOH-DILG Joint Department Circular (JDC) No. 1, Series of…

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Viewpoint: Half of America admits they don’t know much about GMOs. That’s a problem

September 12, 2023

Do you know what genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are? Could you explain it clearly to a twelve-year-old? If your answer to these questions is “no,” you’re not alone. In a survey of Americans, 48 percent said they know “very little” about GMOs, and 16 percent said they know “nothing at all.” Eighty-one percent of Polish students…

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Bangladesh starts growing genetically-modified cotton

August 28, 2023

The variety, Bt cotton, will increase local cotton production by 7.5 times THE DAILEY STAR Tuesday, August 29, 2023 Bangladesh has started cultivation of genetically-modified (GM) cotton for the first time this year to boost yields and cut import dependence of the raw materials of yarn, a top official of the Cotton Development Board (CDB)…

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5x increase in rice yields? New CRISPR-created variety could help fight fungal pandemic decimating world’s rice crop

August 16, 2023

Thanks to CRISPR, farmers may finally have a good defense against rice blast, a fungal disease so devastating, it’s known as the “cancer of rice.” The challenge Rice provides more than 20% of the world’s calories, but every year, rice blast wipes out 10-30% of the world’s rice crops, making it a major threat to both global food security…

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BT Maize For Higher Yields

Farmers Tipped To Adopt BT Maize For Higher Yields

August 16, 2023

State actors at the County and National levels have been challenged to engage Extension Services personnel to sensitise Farmers to adopt the tested and tried BT maize to improve production. Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) is a species of bacteria that produces proteins that are toxic to certain insects. Because of this, it has been used as…

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