News & Events
The cell-culture quail is produced by Vow Group Pty Ltd, a biotechnology company based in Sydney, Australia, which grows animal cells in culture for food use. According to the FSANZ approval report, the cultured quail cells will be combined with other ingredients to create various products, including but not limited to logs, rolls, and patties. The Vow Group advised that these products will be cooked before being sold, initially targeting high-end restaurants.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and conducted by scientists at the University of Arizona and Nanjing Agricultural University identifies a natural strategy for thwarting pest resistance to Bt proteins. The researchers discovered that the Bt protein Cry1Ab kills pests through two different pathways. Bt proteins kill insect pests by binding to specific gut receptors after ingestion.
China is the second largest maize producer and consumer globally. During maize production, Fusarium spp. often gets infected, and mycotoxins like fumonisin contaminate it. Fumonisin has become the mostwidely polluted mycotoxin type in China. Planting genetically modified maize is an economical andeffective approach to reducing fumonisin pollution in products. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two transgenic events from China, Bt Cry1Ab Ma CM8101 and Bt-Cry1Ab, Cry2Ab, G10evo Ruifeng 8,
ISAAA Inc., in collaboration with the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Biotechnology Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA Biotech), held a webinar titled Unlocking the Potential of Animal Biotech in the Philippines: Research Updates and Regulatory Prospects on 10 April 2025 via Zoom. This webinar provided an overview of the status of animal biotechnology research and potential regulatory directions in the Philippines.
Scientists from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have developed a novel gene editing tool called STITCHR. Unlike traditional CRISPR, STITCHR inserts entire genes at precise locations, minimizing unintended mutations. This gene editing tool simplifies use and offers potential as a one-time treatment for genetic disorders. The technology uses retrotransposons, naturally occurring “jumping genes” found in all eukaryotic organisms, which can move and integrate into genomes.
The utilization of heterosis among different species significantly enhances rice yield. However, the direct application of this advantage is hindered by hybrid sterility (HS). Here we identify a stable semi-sterile inbred line (SSIL) in the hybridization between rice species O. sativa indica and wild rice O. longistaminata. Both pollen and spikelet fertility in heterozygous SSIL plants are semi-sterile, and the homozygous plants show normal fertility. Interestingly, unlike previously reported hybrid sterility loci, SSIL does not induce segregation distortion in progeny.
Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Brazil reports stable folate biofortification in lettuce under field conditions for two years. The results are published in Transgenic Research. Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in several bodily functions. Deficiency in folate may cause health problems, including megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects in the developing fetus, and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
A study conducted by researchers from China showed that two genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant maize events, CM 8101 and Reuifeng 8, reduced fumonisin pollution under the stress of Lepidopteran insects (Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera). China, the world's second-largest maize producer, faces widespread fumonisin contamination caused by Fusarium spp. Fumonisins affect over 80% of corn-producing areas, with higher pollution levels seen in regions like Zhuozhou due to favorable conditions for fungal growth.
Structural variants (SVs) are critical for plant genomic diversity and phenotypic variation. This study investigates a large, 9.7 Mbp highly repetitive segment on chromosome 12 of TMEB117, a region not previously characterized in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). We aim to explore its presence and variability across multiple cassava landraces, providing insights into its genomic significance and potential implications.
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today urged FAO Members to turn global challenges into opportunities to accelerate the transformation of global agrifood systems as he opened the 177th FAO Council, which is the last Council session before the Organization’s proposed Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) for 2026-27 is submitted for approval to the FAO Ministerial Conference at the end of June.
Following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is scaling up its emergency response to support rural communities whose livelihoods have been severely affected or destroyed. Over 3.7 million hectares of cropland across key agricultural regions – Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, and Shan – were exposed to the earthquake. These regions produce one-third of Myanmar’s cereals and nearly 80 percent of its maize, and account for a significant share of the country’s livestock.
Two florigen genes, Hd3a and RFT1, are essential for the floral transition in rice. To elucidate the early steps of the transcriptional dynamics during rice floral induction, we compared a set of temporal transcriptome data of SAM (shoot apical meristem)—region samples between the wild-type and a non-flowering line of the hd3a rft1 double mutant during a short-day (SD) treatment after growing under long-day conditions for 42 days,