News & Events

Gene-editing technology is being deployed to safeguard one of the world's most vital food staples. Pairwise announced on November 3, 2025, that it has licensed its Fulcrum® CRISPR platform to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), a non-profit agricultural research organization. The agreement aims to accelerate the development of rice varieties with higher yields, greater climate resilience, and enhanced nutritional value, including research aimed at supporting healthier diets.

Three SNP calling and filtering pipelines, namely BCFtools, Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK)-soft filtering, and GATK-hard filtering, were employed. Results revealed 498,128, 396,003, and 312,153 SNPs respectively identified by these pipelines, with 260,026 SNPs commonly detected across all methods. Analysis of SNP distribution across the 45 scaffolds of the black pepper genome showed varying densities, with pseudo-chromosomes Pn25 (0.86 SNPs/kb), Pn8 (0.74 SNPs/kb), and Pn7 (0.72 SNPs/kb) exhibiting the highest densities. Conversely, scaffolds Pn27 to Pn43 exhibited minimal SNP distribution, except Pn45.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) GMO Panel has released its Scientific Opinion on the safety of genetically modified (GM) insect resistant soybean MON 94637. The scope of application covers import, processing, and food and feed uses within the European Union (EU) for soybean MON 94637 and does not include cultivation in the EU. According to the Scientific Opinion, none of the identified differences in the agronomic/phenotypic and compositional characteristics tested between soybean MON 94637 and its conventional counterpart need further assessment.

The Philippines' 21st National Biotechnology Week (NBW) kicks off on October 28, 2025, at the Century Park Hotel, Malate, Manila, with the theme “#gAInBiotech: Growing AI, Nurturing Biotechnology.” Previously held every November, NBW was moved to the fourth week of September as declared in the Presidential Proclamation No. 921 (s. 2025). Hosted by the Department of Education (DepEd), this year's three-day celebration features forums, exhibits, competitions, and other activities from October 28 - 30, 2025.

We identified a total of 2,503 TF-encoding genes in black pepper (PnTFs), classified into 62 TF families. Notably, 471 intronless PnTF genes were identified, with more than 50% of genes in families such as Dof, ERF, GeBP, GRAS, NF-YB, RAV, TCP, Trihelix, and ZF-HD, suggesting their potential roles in regulating stress responses. Protein-protein interaction network analysis identified 171 hub PnTFs that may serve as key regulators in diverse biological processes. In addition, Gene Ontology-based functional annotation of 63,463 proteins in black pepper revealed that 35,670 (56.2%) were annotated with at least one GO term.

A recent study highlights the potential of high-biomass sorghum hybrids as a superior feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts, showing that their performance can be precisely optimized through tailored nitrogen fertility management. Researchers evaluated the biomass yield potential and feedstock quality of several hybrids across various environments and nitrogen application rates. They successfully identified specific hybrids that not only delivered high yields but also maintained excellent quality—a critical balance for efficient conversion into renewable energy

Researchers from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, University of Lübeck, and University of Edinburgh have successfully developed gene-edited pigs resistant to classical swine fever, a highly infectious and often deadly viral disease that threatens the livestock industry worldwide. The genetic modification provided the animals' protection from infection without affecting their health or development.

Cassava bacterial blight (CBB) significantly affects cassava production in Thailand. Understanding tolerant cultivar responses can reveal key disease resistance mechanisms. This study identified differentially abundant proteins between the tolerant 'Rayong72' (R72) and susceptible 'Hanatee' (HN) cassava cultivars, with quantitative PCR validating mRNA-level changes. Several upregulated proteins in the R72 cultivar were linked to disease progression and defense mechanisms. Correlations between phenotypic symptoms, including malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and protein expression trends, were observed.

A new study co-led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst has introduced a groundbreaking method for cultivating rice. Researchers found that applying nanoscale selenium to rice plants can dramatically cut the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer while maintaining or even increasing crop yields. This innovation addresses the "triple threat" of a growing population, climate change, and the high environmental cost of conventional farming, which typically sees up to 70% of fertilizer wasted and washed away.

Gene drive technology is rapidly advancing, offering powerful new tools with the potential to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges in public health and environmental conservation. Thus, this webinar will cover core concepts on gene drive while providing timely updates on real-world progress, emerging policy discussions, and the evolving societal considerations shaping the gene drive landscape. Dr. Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, Executive Director of ISAAA, Inc., will moderate the discussions.

Fungi are essential members across ecosystems, yet phytopathogenic fungi pose an increasing risk to crop yields. Despite their ecologic importance, cell–cell communication in fungi is underexplored, partly due to the lack of high-throughput techniques. Here, we developed a Yeast Mating Platform (YeMaP) to investigate the interaction between fungal G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) and pheromone peptides. We used YeMaP for high-throughput screening of 8,000 pheromone sequences and identified peptides with improved agonism or antagonism action.

The National Biosafety Committee (NBC) has approved Pakistan's first genetically modified (GM) sugarcane and advanced cotton varieties for commercialization during NBC's 35th meeting at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC). Chaired by the Secretary of the Climate Change Ministry, the meeting was attended by the Director General of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency and other senior officials and experts.