Biotech News

Ghana’s parliament has approved regulations that open the door for the country to commercialize genetically modified (GMO) crops. The regulations pave the way for the commercialization of insect-resistant Bt cowpea, which will allow farmers to dramatically reduce their use of pesticides and boost their yields. Researchers are also ready to move forward with NEWEST rice, which has been…

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Chestnuts harvested from high branches on a chilly fall morning look typical: they’re marble sized, russet colored and nestled in prickly burs. But many are like no other nuts in nature. In a feat of genetic engineering, about half the chestnuts collected at this college experiment station feature a gene that provides…

Dive Brief: Members of Generation Z — those born between 1995 and 2010 — are the most willing to try foods produced using technology, according to a study from Ketchum, a New York-based communication firm. Of that demographic, 77% were more likely to eat such foods, while 67% of millennials, 58% of Gen Xers and…

Benefits of genome editing and molecule-sensing technologies in agriculture include more sustainable crops and healthier foods. Consumers may soon begin purchasing fun-sized fruits and vegetables, as well as processed foods that incorporate healthier ingredients, such as oils that are relatively free of “unhealthy” fats. And producers may be able to grow crops that are drought-…

EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 23 (UPI) — The cotton industry hopes to launch a new market for a genetically modified cotton plant whose seeds are edible for humans. The push comes after the Food and Drug Administration OK’d the modified plant for human consumption in late September. Cotton groups called it a historic decision — one…

SHORTER corn plants – that’s one of the innovations Bayer is backing in an effort to produce more food from less land. The innovation was referenced at the Bayer Future of Farming dialogue held at its German headquarters in Monheim earlier this month. Corn is a massively significant crop for US, Chinese and European growers…

Agrobacterium microbe — the very same bacterium that scientists typically use to create GM crops. Though much of the controversy around genetically modified crops is driven by the belief that the process of moving genes from one species to another is “unnatural,” new research shows some 1 in 20 flowering plants are naturally transgenic. Dozens…

GM crops prevent cancer? Hogwash!” you might say. “Genetically modified (GM) crops and food are supposed to cause cancer aren’t they?” Well, that is what many anti-biotech activists would like you to believe. These campaigners have alleged for years that eating foods made from GM crops leads to dozens of serious health issues, all to…

Bt brinjal increased yield by 42%, reduced cost of growing brinjal by 31%, reduced pesticide applications by 51%, leading to fewer reports of pesticide exposure symptoms. These are according to the report on the Impacts of Bt Brinjal (Eggplant) Technology in Bangladesh published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the US Agency…

A new study confirms that genetically modified insect-resistant eggplant (Bt brinjal) has successfully reduced pesticide use and improved livelihoods among the Bangladeshi farmers who grow it. Conventionally grown brinjal is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in South Asia. Historically, brinjal farmers have sprayed as many as 84 times in a growing season to…