Researchers from the Transmission:Zero team at Imperial College London have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of the disease to humans. Malaria is one of the world's most devastating diseases, putting at risk about half of the world's population. In 2021 alone, malaria has infected 241 million and killed 627,000 people, mostly children below five years old in sub-Saharan Africa.

More people are projected to face acute food insecurity globally, as the food crisis worsens in 19 hunger hotspots. This is according to the latest joint report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP) report titled Hunger Hotspots FAO-WFP Early Warnings on Acute Food Insecurity: October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook. The expected increase in food insecurity is attributed to rising conflict, weather extremes, and economic instability intensified by the pandemic and the ripple effects of the crisis in Ukraine.

The long-standing ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya has finally been lifted, marking a historic moment in the country's agri-biotech development. The Kenyan Government, through a Cabinet decision, has lifted the ban to allow efficient adoption of approved biotech crops and importation of GM foods. By lifting the ban, the Cabinet has further authorized open cultivation and importation of white GMO maize.

An ICRISAT-led study reveals that climate-induced risks to farmers’ income can be reduced by up to 25% when context-specific climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies are implemented. Researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), have developed an investment planning tool for the prioritization and upscaling of CSA technologies across districts in the Telangana state of India.

The Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and the Regional Center of Excellence against Hunger and Malnutrition (CERFAM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on 30 September 2022, that aims to foster collaboration for the promotion of policies, strategies, and actions to end hunger, poverty, and malnutrition in Africa. Through this cooperation, AfricaRice and CERFAM intend to work on programs that seek to enhance food security and nutrition and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.

A video released by the Outreach Network for Gene Drive Research answers the question of who should be responsible for overseeing gene drive research. Two experts express that national biosafety authorities should take responsibility to satisfy the national and international requirements, which include certifications, provisions, and safety assessments around the research, use, and release of gene drives.

An article recently published in GEN Biotechnology reports the development of a programmable CRISPR-based method that could potentially replace fertile male D. suzukii with sterile counterparts, and safely curb this pest population. The researchers at the University of California San Diego, including Nikolay Kandul, Junru Liu, Anna Buchman, and Omar Akbari, use a temperature-inducible, precision-guided, sterile insect technique (pgSIT),

Two cyanobacteria species that perform photosynthesis under low-light conditions were investigated by scientists from the Imperial College London to understand the trade-offs that happen between efficiency and resilience when using lower-energy far-red light. Using this new knowledge, researchers can potentially develop plants that are more efficient in crop and biomass production since far-red light is less energy intensive.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) GMO Panel released their scientific opinion on insect resistant genetically modified (GM) maize MIR162, which is applied for renewal of authorization for food and feed uses, excluding cultivation within the EU. EFSA's assessment found no evidence for new hazards. Following the submission of Syngenta Crop Protection NV/SA, the EFSA GMO Panel assessed the post-market environmental monitoring reports

A team of international researchers reported how peas have evolved and pinpointed the traits that can be harnessed for breeding better varieties. The findings are published in Nature Genetics. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations records, peas are the fourth most produced legume globally. Aside from being a good source of protein, starch, fiber, and minerals, peas have a significant ecological sustainability advantage because of their biological nitrogen fixation capacity.