US Scientists Embark on Developing Edible Plant-based Vaccines
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA NEW project is being pursued by scientists from the University of California Riverside to develop edible plants into mRNA vaccine factories. If successful, plants such as lettuce and spinach can produce the vaccines and be grown in backyards and even entire fields. The mRNA technology is currently being used to produce COVID-19 vaccines in plants. It works […]
Carnegie scientists uncover nutrient-sensing capabilities of plants as answer to climate change
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSCIENTISTS from the Carnegie Institute of Science discovers a method by which plants can switch their response based on their changing environment. The team of scientists discovered an evolutionarily conserved protein that plays a unique role in regulating stress responses and key developmental transitions such as seed germination and flowering. The scientists then applied sugar […]
Herbee a new e-commerce platform to broaden the herbal industry
Reading Time: 2 minutesBY SAARANI VENGADESEN THE Human Life Advancement Foundation (HLAF) and Dropee jointly initiated Herbee, a new e-commerce platform which provides a digital marketplace for local brands of herbal and natural-based products that are established in Malaysia. Herbee is a user- friendly platform that empowers local brands to digitally promote, monitor their products and stay connected with their […]
Man rooted to the soil earns World Food Prize 2020
Reading Time: 3 minutesDES MOINES, Iowa: The World Food Prize – usually likened to being the “Nobel for Agriculture” was awarded to Rattan Lal, an Indian-American soil scientist. Lal earned the 2020 award for his research which led to improved food [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ] production and a better understanding of how atmospheric carbon can be held […]
Experts identify genome editing and other innovations to accelerate food system transition
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAN INTERNATIONAL team of almost 50 experts identified 75 emerging innovations and 8 action points that can help speed up the transition to a sustainable and healthy food system. Their recommendations are published in Nature Food. At present, 40 percent of global land is used for food production, which contributes to land-use change, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas […]
International plant biotech Experts weigh in on new breeding technology regulations
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA POLL involving international plant biotechnology experts was conducted to determine what approach different countries should agree on in order to maximize the full potential of current and future new breeding technologies and its products. A key finding states that product-based models or dual-product/process systems are viewed as potential appropriate frameworks to regulate genome editing products. Based […]
How do plants send distress signal when they are under attack?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWhen we are under distress, sorrow, or anxiety, we will try to reach out to someone to pour out our problems. We have mouth to talk and ears to listen. However, plants do not have mouth to talk, ears to listen or eyes to see. In fact, plants talk and listen to each other but […]
Bio-tweaked potato to benefit 300,000 smallholder farmers
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIN Uganda, stakeholders working on the new bioengineered late blight-resistant potato dubbed as the “3R Victoria” are confident of its wide adoption. The yet to be released potato could help 300,000 smallholder farmers in Uganda achieve higher yields at lower production costs and less exposure to chemicals. The stakeholders estimate 40-50% adoption rate for the […]
Precise base editing of acetolactate synthase genes confers herbicide resistance in maize
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other institutions reported precise based editing of maize genes using CRISPR-Cas9, leading to development of sulfonylurea herbicide resistance. The results are published in The Crop Journal. A CRISPR-Cas9 nickase-cytidine deaminase fused with uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor was used for targeted conversion of cytosine (C) to thymine (T) […]
Commercial sugarcane sequenced
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAn international group of researchers led by scientists from Brazil’s Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) has assembled the most complete genome sequence of commercial sugarcane, mapping 373,869 genes, equivalent to 99.1% of the total genome. The group sequenced the variety SP80-3280, one of the top 20 sugarcane varieties grown […]