Disease-resistant gene-edited rice offers hope for small-scale farmers in Africa
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRICE YELLOW MOTTLE VIRUS (RYMV) is responsible for high crop losses in Africa, particularly among small-scale farmers. A research team from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) has now developed rice lines that are resistant to the disease using genome editing. RYMV is an RNA virus spread by beetles and […]
Scientist: Restoring key enzyme to treat Fabry disease
Reading Time: 2 minutesFABRY disease is a rare genetically inherited disorder. It occurs when a specific enzyme known as alpha-galactosidase (a-gal A) is absent from human cells. The body loses the ability to produce this enzyme when there is a mutation in the gene Galactosidase Alpha (GLA). “Although it is a rare genetic condition, its effect is life-threatening. When […]
Research team finds a single gene can affect entire ecosystem
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA RESEARCH team from the University of Zurich (UZC) has shown that a single gene can affect an entire ecosystem and the discovery of the “key gene” could change the current strategies of biological diversity conservation. The UZH researchers and their colleagues from the University of California report that a mutation in a single gene dramatically changes […]
Scientists Develop Gene-Edited Mosquito to Help Eliminate Malaria
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSCIENTISTS from the Imperial College of London used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to develop gene-edited mosquitoes that could possibly reduce their ability to spread Malaria. Though only a preliminary study has been done, the breakthrough could be used for a gene drive that can provide a new way to reduce illnesses and deaths caused by Malaria. The researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology […]
Korean Consumers Prefer Gene Edited Products Over GM, Study Finds
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA RECENT STUDY found that Koreans tend to accept gene-edited (GEd) more than genetically modified (GM) foods. Their level of scientific knowledge is a major factor affecting their choice, thereby highlighting the importance of the availability of relevant information to the public. The study investigated the consumer acceptance of GEd technology and its comparison to GM technology with the aim of classifying the targets […]
Japan launches world’s first genome-edited tomato
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE first direct consumption genome-edited tomato was launched in Japan by Sanatech Seed. The Japanese ministries in-charge have announced their determination that the genome-edited tomato will not be regulated as a genetically modified product. Sanatech Seed’s Sicilian Rouge High GABA tomato was developed using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. The tomato contains high levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid believed […]
France: NBTs are not GMOs
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE Agriculture Minister of France Julien Denormandie said in an interview that France sees crops developed using gene editing techniques as different to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and opposes a European Union court decision placing them under strict GMO regulations. In 2018, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that mutagenesis, among so-called new breeding techniques (NBT) based on […]
Heat tolerance gene in corals found using gene editing
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAN international team of experts used CRISPR-Cas9 to elucidate the heat tolerance of a coral in the Great Barrier Reef. Their findings provide insights into the management and conservation of corals in the face of climate change. Their study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The team developed an enhanced CRISPR-Cas9 system to […]
Living robots built using frog cells
Reading Time: 4 minutesA TEAM of scientists has repurposed living cells scraped from frog embryos and assembled them into entirely new life-forms. These millimeter-wide “xenobots” can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient) and heal themselves after being cut. “These are […]
Failed gene-edited baby experiment proves we are not ready for human embryo modification
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY DIMITRI PERRIN & GAETAN BURGIO MORE than a year ago, the world was shocked by Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui’s attempt to use CRISPR technology to modify human embryos and make them resistant to HIV, which led to the birth of twins Lulu and Nana. Now, crucial details have been revealed in a recent release […]