Chinese Consumers Prefer Gene-edited Foods to Transgenics

Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE success and adoption of novel food products depend on consumer acceptance. A recent study was conducted to identify the role of the fear of novel foods on consumer acceptance and revealed that consumers were more open to accepting gene-edited foods. The study involved 835 geographically dispersed Chinese consumers and focused on the consumer acceptance evaluation of […]

Animal Biotech Experts Brief Stakeholders in Asia Oceania Region

Reading Time: 2 minutesAN INTERNATIONAL panel convened in the ISAAA virtual workshop to discuss the science and opportunities of animal biotechnology for food and agriculture, particularly for the Asia Oceania region. The virtual workshop titled The Impact of Gene Technology in Animal Agriculture and Food Production was organized by ISAAA and the Biotechnology Information Centers in Asia, in cooperation with the United States Department […]

Researchers Shed New Light on the Molecular Detail of COVID-19

Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCH conducted by scientists from Western Sydney University reveals a distinct binding interface for both key proteins in COVID-19 – ssDNA and RNA – which work to enable the replication of the virus in host cells. The research results are published as an open-access article in the journal PROTEINS. According to co-lead researcher Dr Roland Gamsjaeger from the […]

Our World in Data Says Only ~10% of Global Food Crops Depend on Pollinators

Reading Time: < 1 minuteSEVERAL reports say that about 75% of the world’s crops are dependent on pollinators. A study published by Our World Data suggests that only about 10% of the global food supply is affected by disappearing insect pollinators. According to Our World Data, the previously reported figure stating that 75% of our crops depend on pollinators […]

Semi-dwarf Rice Developed Using CRISPR-Cas9

Reading Time: < 1 minuteBOGOR AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 to develop semi-dwarf rice plants. Plant height posture is an important factor in rice production. When the rice plant has elevated height, it is prone to lodging, which can affect yield. The researchers targeted editing the GA20Ox2 gene by introducing CRISPR-Cas9 GA20Ox2 construct into Indonesian rice cultivar IPB3S to develop the semi-dwarf rice mutants. The […]

Researchers Use CRISPR to Understand Genetic Characteristics of Wound Healing in Potatoes

Reading Time: < 1 minuteTO help reduce huge losses in the potato industry, biochemist Dylan Kosma from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno, is using a biochemistry approach to identify genetic characteristics of the wound healing process in potatoes. Potato tuber wound healing involves suberin, a corky material that makes up a large […]

Study Finds CRISPR Could Render Mosquitoes Infertile, Reducing Spread of Diseases

Reading Time: < 1 minuteUSING CRISPR-Cas9, researchers at the Army’s Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies and the University of California Santa Barbara were able to target a specific gene tied to fertility in male mosquitoes. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, discerned how a mutation can suppress the fertility of female mosquitoes. The research team mutated a gene in […]

Expert: Large scale vaccination shows positive outcome in case severity

Reading Time: 5 minutesBY SAARANI VENGADESEN THE Delta variant of Covid-19 virus is redefining the term “herd immunity” and further mutation that renders vaccines ineffective will be a huge disaster. One way to stop this is  through vaccination to give less time for the virus to mutate. Datuk Dr Christopher Lee, the former National Advisor for Infectious Disease […]

Techcare Innovation Empowering Stroke Recovery with I4.0 Robotic Technology

Reading Time: 6 minutesBY DR MAHALETCHUMY ARUJANAN & SAARANI VENGADESEN STROKE is the leading cause of disability worldwide with 14.5 million stroke cases every year (WHO). A STROKE causes damage to our brain cells and robs us of mobility that we take for granted. Bending our fingers is effortless but not for a stroke patient who requires so […]

Know your guts well

Reading Time: 2 minutesBY JOYCE WONG JIN YI  DO YOU know almost 80% of your body’s immune system and health reside in your gut? From your cardiovascular health to your brain health, your gut plays a crucial role. Whether you are dealing with a heart or brain problem, the first place you most often have to look is […]