Carnivorous plants exploit animals as a nutritional source and have inspired long-standing questions about the origin and evolution of their carnivory-related traits. To investigate the molecular bases of carnivory, the team of Kenji Fukushima from the University of Colorado School of Medicine sequenced the genome of the pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis). In a previous study, the team succeeded in regulating the developmental switch between carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves of the pitcher plant.

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are increasingly used as a powerful tool for genome editing in a variety of organisms. Previous studies have cloned the gene avrXa23 from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and developed an AvrXa23-based assembly system for TALENs. Fu-jun Wang of the Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences used TALENs to induce mutagenesis of rice ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor OsERF922 to test the gene-editing efficiency of AvrXa23-based TALENs system.

A landmark study using advances in genomics has helped analyze and characterize the DNA of over 4,000 landrace maize varieties from across the Americas. Researchers from the MasAgro Biodiversidad (MAB)/Seeds of Discovery (SeeD) in Mexico developed a unique experimental strategy to learn more about the genes underlying maize adaptation.

Scientists are paving the way for better tasting tomatoes. Denise Tieman from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and co-researchers conducted an extensive genetic analysis of almost 400 tomato varieties, including heirloom varieties and sweet-tasting cherry tomatoes.

Launched ahead of the World Cancer Day (4 February), the new WHO guidance aims to improve the chances of survival for people living with cancer by ensuring that health services can focus on diagnosing and treating the disease earlier. Strategies to improve early diagnosis can be built into health systems at a low cost. In turn, effective early diagnosis can help detect cancer in patients at an earlier stage, enabling treatment that is generally more effective, less complex, and less expensive.

The Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) – 2017 was recently released by the Government of India. The publication contains data on 586 varieties of Indian food and their nutritive values. This is the first expansive and comprehensive food composition data to be released since 1971 with its own complete food composition database.

Iron deficiency is the world’s leading nutritional ailment, particularly in developing countries. It can impair cognitive and physical development in children, while anemia, often caused by iron deficiency, increases risks to women during childbirth. Despite efforts to curb iron deficiency through supplements and fortified foods, the condition affects an estimated 2 billion people worldwide.

The Cornell Alliance for Science released a 30-minute documentary titled Hawaii GMO Papaya: Real Solutions, Real Lives. This video summarizes Cornell University's development of the transgenic, ringspot-resistant papaya, which saved the Hawaii papaya industry. It also chronicles the rise of the anti-GMO movement in Hawaii, which targeted the transgenic papaya. Anti-GMO activism has meanwhile halted transgenic papaya research in Venezuela and Thailand.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, and Medicine released the final book of their GE crop study. The book, titled Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects, builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic engineering technologies hold for the future.

The international pledge to eradicate a devastating livestock disease affecting mostly sheep and goats has taken on new urgency in the wake of a mass die-off of a rare Mongolian antelope. Some 900 Saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica mongolica) - almost 10 percent of the sub-species' population - have been found dead in Mongolia's western Khovd province.