Genetic engineering and beetroot dye tomatoes purple

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 …

Wageningen scientists unravel onion genome

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 …

Bioactive packaging keeps strawberries fresh

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 …

GE Cotton Goes to the International Space Station

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’s plant-based COVID-19 vaccine shows positive Phase 2 results

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 …