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 …
The first direct consumption genome-edited tomato was launched in Japan by Sanatech Seed, a start-up company from University of Tsukuba. The Japanese ministries in-charge have announced their determination that the genome-edited tomato will not be regulated as a genetically modified product. Sicilian Rouge High GABA tomato was developed using CRISPR-Cas9 …
An international team of researchers from the International Rye Genome Sequencing Group (IRGSG) and their collaborators from 14 countries led by the IPK Leibniz Institute in Germany has released the genome sequence of rye, a distinctly climate-resistant cereal plant that is of considerable importance for Germany and north-eastern Europe. Rye …
An international team of scientists has successfully developed cassava with high-level resistance to cassava mosaic disease (CMD), cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), as well as higher levels of iron and zinc. This is the first time that disease resistance and multiple biofortification traits have been stacked in this manner in …
