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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) on September 7, 2022, stating that the new genetically modified (GM) purple tomato from Norfolk Plant Sciences may be safely grown and used in breeding in the United States. The purple tomato was modified to alter its color and enhance its nutritional quality. Domesticated tomatoes already have genes to produce anthocyanins, but they are not "turned on" in most fruits.

Nature Biotechnology reports a new version of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system that eases the process of re-engineering large amounts of cells for therapeutic applications. The technique, designed by Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), allows scientists to introduce long DNA sequences to precise locations in the genomes of cells at significantly high efficiencies without the need for delivery systems.

Euroseeds and partners released the results of their study that assessed the communication activities and needs of European stakeholders involved in plant breeding innovation. The findings are published in the journal Food and Energy Security. According to the study, a high level of trust is given by the stakeholders to representatives from academia. Across the different stakeholder groups, there is a high regard for topics such as safety, transparency, and sustainability.

Researchers from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) led by Stan Brouns have discovered a CRISPR-Cas system that cuts proteins instead of DNA. The discovery opens the door to the development of a range of biotechnological and medical applications, such as sensing RNA molecules in pathogens. Brouns explains that when CRISPR-Cas was discovered, it was observed to cut viral DNA in precise locations. “But the protein had more surprises in store: we later discovered that some variants of CRISPR-Cas can also cut viral RNA. Now CRISPR-Cas goes one step further cutting proteins with high precision.

After conducting a whole-genome sequence on the Greenland Halibut, researchers expressed that the fish appear to be panmictic in most of the Northwest Atlantic. Moreover, their work enables further studies of genomic datasets to characterize the effects of climate change across different species. The long-term presence of the Greenland Halibut in the Northwest Atlantic requires accurate information about its geographic population structure and local adaptation for scientists to understand more about the species.

Researchers from Seattle Children's Research Institute reported the promising results of a small experimental trial of a malaria vaccine. The vaccine contains living parasites weakened by the deletion of three key genes that are essential for it to leave the liver and infect blood cells. Genetically engineered parasites cannot cause severe disease, nor can they be passed on to other people. The researchers used CRISPR to modify the parasites.

Genetically modifying trees to increase resilience has long been hounded by regulatory hurdles and public opposition, but the latest findings of the University of Manchester's scientists offer an important contribution to this debate. The apple rubbery wood virus (ARWV) has infected many apple trees worldwide. In the study, the scientists found that the symptoms of ARWV result from the reduction in lignin, a key structural material that supports the tissues of most plants.

Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world is obtained from the stigma of Crocus sativa flowers. To produce a kilogram of saffron, it takes 150,000–200,000 flowers. Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have found a way to use a common garden plant to produce crocins, saffron's active ingredient, a compound with important applications in the therapeutic and food industry.

Gene drive, together with traditional vector control measures, provides a powerful combination in eliminating malaria within the Sahel region located in sub-Saharan Africa. This is according to a modeling study conducted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Imperial College London published in the Malaria Journal. The researchers determined the impact of population replacement gene drive system and defined the parameters required to attain local elimination.