Saffron made affordable through GM technology
Reading Time: 2 minutesSAFFRON is the most expensive spice in the world. It is mainly cultivated in countries such as Iran, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, India and Turkey. Historically, saffron is dubbed as ‘red gold’ and is believed to have been discovered during Bronze age Greece. If you make a quick search on e-commerce platforms, you would find […]
Asian agbio players convene under ISAAA/MABIC platform
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY Ts. DR MAHALETCHUMY ARUJANAN & SAARANI VENGADESEN WILL working tirelessly in the laboratories result in GM crops being released into the hands of farmers, subsequently relieving their world from grappling with food insecurity? It is time for scientists to understand the invisible hands that move the needles when it comes to the approval and […]
Gene Drives Offer Sustainable Management of Vector-Borne Diseases -Experts
Reading Time: 2 minutesDENGUE and Malaria are transmitted by mosquitoes and cause millions of deaths across the globe every year. Gene drives using genetically modified mosquitoes offer an effective, economical, and less labor-intensive solution to help fight lethal viral diseases. The webinar Can gene drive eliminate vector-borne diseases? was live-streamed via Zoom on July 8, 2021. It was hosted by ISAAA, in partnership with […]
Edible cholera vaccine made from genetically modified rice may be on the way
Reading Time: 3 minutesA NEW vaccine to protect against deadly cholera has been made by grinding up genetically modified grains of rice. The first human trial has shown no obvious side effects and a good immune response. Researchers based at the University of Tokyo and Chiba University have published the peer-reviewed results of the Phase 1 clinical trial […]
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 […]
GM mosquitoes key to stopping Zika virus spread
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA RESEARCH study conducted at the University of Missouri (UM) is genetically modifying mosquitoes to be resistant to the Zika virus altogether. Alexander Franz, an associate professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, collaborated with researchers at Colorado State University by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce mosquitoes that are unable to replicate the Zika virus and therefore cannot […]
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 […]
Europe’s Position on COVID-19 Vaccines Inconsistent with its GMO Stance
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEUROPEAN politicians lauded the breakthroughs in the COVID-19 vaccine, including mRNA vaccines which are developed using genetic engineering. This stance is considered as inconsistent with its position on genetic modification and gene editing which have been prevented to be adopted by farmers in the region except in Spain and Portugal. This is according to Graham Brookes, an agricultural economist with […]
Price, nutrition among top Factors affecting Canadian consumers’ choice for GM foods
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA SURVEY conducted in 2018 found that Canadian consumers have diametric opposition to their actual purchasing behavior when it comes to genetically modified (GM) foods. This means that the consumers say that they lack trust in GM foods yet are still willing to buy them if priced reasonably. The survey involved 506 English-speaking Canadian consumers in July 2018 and […]
GM food label is unrecognised by most consumers in Brazil
Reading Time: 2 minutesRESEARCHERS from Brazil released the results of their study that aimed to determine how much consumers knew about genetically modified (GM) food labelling in Brazil and identify the factors that affected the consumer’s willingness to buy these foods. The results showed that about three-quarters of Brazilian consumers did not recognise the symbol used for GM […]