Scientists from the USA produced an antibiotic that can eliminate drug-resistant bacteria. This will help reduce the spread of diseases in humans. Antibiotics hinder the growth of pathogenic bacteria by binding to their ribosomes. This activity interrupts the bacteria's protein-manufacturing process, which causes its death. However, many bacterial species have developed defenses against this attack.

Experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and partners reported in Nature Plants about their breakthrough in developing the first artificial plant genome. To date, they have developed a partially synthetic version of the spreading earthmoss (Physcomitrium patens) chromosome. This big leap can turn the moss into a factory of medicines and other products. Redesigning an organism's genome is vital in understanding which sequences are important and how their organization impacts gene functions.

Consumers in the United States can now purchase and grow the genetically engineered Firefly Petunias in their gardens and homes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), this modified petunia is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk than other produced petunias. This year, the biotechnology firm Light Bio announced that their plants achieved brighter bioluminescence.

Uruguay has been battling with the New World screwworm infestations for several decades. Screwworm fly larvae, hatched from eggs laid by the female, burrow into cattle flesh, causing fatal wounds if left untreated. Thus, the pest poses a risk to agriculture and the economy. To address this concern, National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) experts designed a gene drive to boost the spread of a gene or group of genes in a population.

A special edition of the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems has brought together expert perspectives on the status of food safety in low- and middle-income countries, including the latest evidence on the burden of foodborne disease at national and sub-national levels, with over half of the 24 papers in the edition featuring research by CGIAR scientists and partners.

A normal Saturday morning for Mireya Hernández starts at 3 a.m. when she departs her remote rural town for an outdoor market in Cali, a city of 2.2 million people in Colombia’s southwest, to sell organic food from her family’s tiny farm. Everything from their fresh produce to the preserves is highly recommended, her clients say, but Hernández’s top suggestion is, “Show up early.”

The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Nigeria, Africa, demands an end to the persistent spread of false and misleading information on genetically modified (GM) crops from the opposition groups, which includes organic farming advocates, philosophical or religious-based groups, and people driven by political and economic motives.

Nanjing Agricultural University scientists explored using gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to minimize arsenic build-up in rice grains. Environmental Science and Technology journal reports their findings. Rice, the top staple for many countries, is exposed to inorganic arsenic in the soil. Reducing the build-up of arsenic in rice grains is vital in delivering safer rice grains.

ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the University of the Philippines-Diliman Institute of Biology, will hold the hybrid event titled Pinoy Biotek Seminar: PCR Based Detection Kit for Salmonella on Meat on March 12, 2024, at 9:00 AM (GMT+8). The registration is now open. The event is part of a series of seminars that aim to increase awareness and appreciation of Pinoy biotechnologies and products by the general public, especially in the Philippines.

On February 7, 2024, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) adopted a position for negotiations with member states on the Commission proposal on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), with 307 votes to 263 and 41 abstentions. The positive vote aims for a more sustainable and resilient food system by developing improved plant varieties that are climate resilient, pest resistant, and give higher yields or that require fewer fertilizers and pesticides. In the European Union, all plants obtained through NGTs are subject to the same rules as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).