News & Events
ASCA has trained over 200 scientists, regulators, communication practitioners, and other stakeholders from various government agencies, private companies, and nonprofits in Asia since 2018. The program focuses on three key areas: agricultural biotechnology applications (genetic engineering and gene editing), policy environment, and science communication. International experts from these fields serve as resource speakers and facilitators of the discussions.
Transcription factors are pivotal molecules involved in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation in plants, playing a crucial role in combating biological stress. Here, we have characterized a regulatory factor, OsbHLH34, which governs the response of rice to infection by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA. The expression of OsbHLH34 significantly impacts the susceptibility of rice to Rhizoctonia solani infection. Through the generation of OsbHLH34 knockout and overexpressing rice plants, we observed that OsbHLH34 acts as a positive regulator of rice resistance against rice sheath blight.
Amidst the challenges of drought, climate change, conflicts, and other shocks that significantly impact food security and livelihoods globally, the importance of early and anticipatory action has gained significant traction. This is particularly crucial in aiding pastoral communities in preparing for crises, underscoring the vital role of early warning systems in enhancing resilience. During the CGIAR Science Week at the United Nations headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya on 7–11 April 2025, scientists from diverse backgrounds gathered for a session aimed at fostering climate-smart agriculture and promoting early action against shocks and crises.
On 10 April 2025, global experts gathered at the CGIAR Science Week with a shared purpose: to explore how digital transformation can revolutionize agriculture in the face of growing global challenges. From artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time data pipelines to farmer-first innovations, CGIAR Accelerator on Digital Transformation Strategy Dialogue showcased bold ideas and concrete actions to future-proof food, land, and water systems.
Diverse single-stranded RNA viruses employ different host cellular organelles or membrane systems to compartmentalize their replication intermediates and proviral factors, ensuring robust replication. Replication of Bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV), an Alphaflexiviridae family, is tightly associated with chloroplasts and dynamic cytosolic viral replication complex (VRC) clusters. BaMV VRC clusters comprise double-stranded viral RNA, BaMV replicase (RepBaMV), and mitochondrial outer membrane protein, voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was awarded Wednesday for its sustained effort to help Zimbabwe use satellite-tracked evidence to improve its crop production data. FAO won the SDG Custodian Agency Prize at the seventh annual GEO SDG Awards, which recognizes the productivity, innovation, novelty and exemplary efforts in the use of Earth observations to support sustainable development. The prizes were organized by Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals, a partnership of more than 100 national governments and even more participating organizations, representing researchers, data providers and businesses.
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today took part in the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Milan, where he emphasised the need to strengthen cooperation for furthering the transformation of agrifood systems as the world faces a “critical juncture” in the fight against global hunger. In his address to the meeting, Qu reminded the audience that according to FAO’s latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, about 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023.
Protein and oil are the two principal economic components of soybean seed. Although several related genes regulating soybean protein and oil accumulation have been reported, the regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was employed using four generations derived from a cross between Changjiangchun 2 (high protein and oil content) and Yushuxian 2 (low protein and oil content),
The recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Europe and the introduction of an exotic virus strain into the Near East underscore the urgent need for early detection and enhanced biosecurity measures to minimize the impacts of the disease, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “FAO is recommending urgent biosecurity measures and enhanced surveillance following the recent detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) serotype SAT1 in Iraq and Bahrain.
Cooperation at all levels, together with effective funding, are critical in the fight against transboundary pests and diseases (TPPDs), which each year destroy up to 40 percent of the world’s crops, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu noted today as he marked the International Day of Plant Health. Qu was invited to address government ministers from the Near East and North Africa (the NENA region) gathered for a conference in the southern Italian city of Bari.
Cassava, a major economic crop in Thailand, yielded over 3 million USD in exports in 2023. However, its production has been declining since 2021 due to cassava mosaic disease (CMD) outbreaks, which affect cassava plantations. CMD infections have recently increased due to the scarcity of healthy stems and CMD-resistant varieties, the latter being key to controlling its spread. Developing novel methods is critical for accelerating the cultivation of high-yield, CMD-resistant varieties.
Researchers from Fayoum University and Alexandria University in Egypt developed a cold-tolerant Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by incorporating a fragmented pure DNA extracted from Atlantic salmon. The study highlights the potential of genetic modification to improve the productivity of tilapia, particularly in colder regions. Although Nile tilapia can survive a wide range of temperatures, cold stress negatively impacts their growth, reproduction, and survival rates.