Researchers from Lupane State University in Zimbabwe and partners reviewed the applications of CRISPR-Cas9 in producing climate-resilient crops that will help smallholder farmers in Africa.The growth of the African population is threatened by malnutrition, food insecurity, and climate change. Africa's crop productivity is also declining due to drought and unpredictable precipitation patterns. To address these challenges, scientists use CRISPR-Cas9 to develop crops with enhanced traits, such as nutrition, drought tolerance, and disease resistance.

A study published in Plant, Cell & Environment revealed that NbPTR1a confers resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 (Psa3) infection in kiwifruit. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the development of Psa3-resistant kiwifruit through gene editing techniques. Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a bacterial pathogen that causes canker disease, a highly destructive disease affecting kiwifruit plants

Euroseeds strongly condemns the destruction of Italy's first open field trial of a gene-edited rice variety by vandals on June 21, 2024, in northern Italy. The field trial, launched on May 13, 2024, was crucial for testing the resistance of the rice, named ‘RIS8imo,' against fungal diseases.RIS8imo, developed using CRISPR technology, aimed to reduce the need for fungicides through targeted mutations, with laboratory results showing promising disease resistance.

ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Biotechnology for Agriculture and Fisheries of the Department of Agriculture (DA Biotech Program Office) and Asian Farmers Regional Network (ASFARNET), holds a public briefing titled Biotech for Filipino Farmers: A Public Briefing on the Philippine Biotechnology and Biosafety Regulations and Farmers' Perspectives on June 20, 2024, in General Santos City.

ASCA7 targets to equip Asian scientists, regulators, and other stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of agri-biotech. The program focuses on three key areas: agri-biotech applications, policy environment, and biotech communication. This comprehensive approach empowers participants to contribute towards implementation of science-based regulations that support the commercialization and trade of agri-biotech products.

Researchers from the University of Sydney produced seekRNA, a gene editing tool that has higher accuracy and flexibility compared to CRISPR. The technique has successfully been tested in bacteria and will be investigated if it can be applied to complex eukaryotic cells. CRISPR creates a break in the two strands of DNA and requires other proteins to add the new DNA sequence. Even though CRISPR has multiple applications in different industries, this method can introduce unintentional errors in the DNA.

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) produced a novel method to store DNA in a new type of polymer. Their creation can fit the entire human genome and may store digital information on DNA. Current methods of DNA storage require freezing temperatures, which are not feasible in other parts of the world. Those methods also consume a large amount of energy, which make them expensive and unscalable.

A decade-long cross-institutional collaboration led by scientists from the John Innes Centre (JIC) and the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), has discovered huge genetic potential that is untapped in modern wheat varieties. Dr. Simon Griffiths at JIC and Professor Shifeng Cheng at CAAS studied the historic A.E. Watkins Landrace Collection, which contains a collection of local wheat varieties which are no longer grown anywhere in the world, and compared this with modern wheats.

ASCA7 targets to equip Asian scientists, regulators, and other stakeholders with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of agri-biotech. The program focuses on three key areas: agri-biotech applications, policy environment, and biotech communication. This comprehensive approach empowers participants to contribute towards implementation of science-based regulations that support the commercialization and trade of agri-biotech products.

Pakistan’s Technical Advisory Committee of the Environment Protection Agency released commercialization approvals for two high-yielding sugarcane varieties developed by experts from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. While sugarcane meets a significant 70% of global sugar demandand holds promise as a key bioethanol source, Pakistan ranks 5th in sugarcane cultivation but only 11th in worldwide production.