Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in Halle have used genetic engineering methods to produce purple tomatoes using dye from beetroot. The scientists smuggled the genes for the biosynthesis of betanin into the plants and activated them in the ripening fruits. Betanin is not originally formed in …
The United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has granted permission to Rothamsted Research to run a series of field trials of genome-edited wheat. The wheat in the field trial has been edited to reduce the levels of naturally occurring amino acid, asparagine, which is converted to …
A group of scientists from the University of Chicago, Peking University, and Guizhou University has found a genetic tweak that targets RNA to help grow crops that yield significantly more food and show increased drought tolerance Human RNA demethylase FTO is the first known protein that erases chemical marks on …
Researchers led by Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and the European CHIC Project have identified the genes involved in the production of bitter compounds in chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativum) using the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas. Chicory’s taproots are a source of inulin, a natural sweetener used in bread and …
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences used CRISPR-Cas9 to boost nitrogen use efficiency and increase the yield potential of wheat. The results are published in the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. Wheat is an economically important crop, providing food to over 30% of the global population. To improve …
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have unraveled the onion genome, a breakthrough that will help speed up the development of new onion varieties that are resistant to various stresses such as drought and meet the world’s growing demand for onions. Onion is one of the most widely grown …
Scientists from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Canada have developed a packaging film made of shellfish shells, essential oils, and nanoparticles to keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days. The film possesses antifungal and antimicrobial properties that help in preserving the strawberries. It is made of …
On June 3, 2021, botanist Simon Gilroy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison launched cotton seeds including genetically modified ones to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Gilroy and his team will study cotton seedlings grown on the ISS to better understand cotton growth. This is the …
Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced the positive interim Phase 2 clinical trial safety and immunogenicity data for Medicago’s plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which was tested in combination with GSK’s pandemic adjuvant. These results are part of the ongoing Phase 2/3 study and …
A study conducted by researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany and Southwest University in China sheds light on an unusual interdependence. They found that maize can attract special soil bacteria that, in turn, help the plants to grow better. The results could also lead to breeding new varieties …
