A research team led by the University of Bonn, and also involves researchers from Argentina, Canada and the University of Düsseldorf provides new insights into an enzyme that plays a key role in C4 photosynthesis. Around three percent of all plants have developed a trick that enables them to use even the smallest amounts of CO2 in C4 photosynthesis. In this process, they first pre-fix CO2 by linking it to a transport molecule, producing an organic compound containing four carbons - hence the name C4 photosynthesis

The state of food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific has worsened, as more than 375 million people in the region faced hunger in 2020, an increase of 54 million over the previous year, according to a joint report just published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). While hunger has increased, so too has inadequate access to nutritious foods.

A new method developed by American scientists now allows the real-time detection of gene editing tools in plants, and possibly in animals, bacteria and fungi in the future, with just an ultraviolet flashlight and the naked eye. The researchers of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the United States Department of Energy described their method like an alarm system with two components: a biosensor guide RNA that redirects CRISPR activity, and a reporter protein that flags the activity.

The USDA FAS Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) released 2021 updates on the status of agricultural biotechnology in Brazil. According to the report, Brazil remains to be the second largest producer of biotech crops globally, with 115 approved events. The total area planted to GM crops was estimated to be over 56 million hectares for the crop year of 2020/2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported that the number of hungry people in Africa continues to increase due to conflict, climate change, and the economic slowdowns, including those triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report was published in partnership with the African Union Commission and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Experts from the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard successfully designed a new type of prime editing that can install or swap out gene-sized DNA sequences. This breakthrough is published in Nature Biotechnology. Prime editing was first developed in 2019 for precise edits in human cells, including small substitutions, insertions, and deletions.

Satisfying the changing food habits and increased demand for food intensifies pressure on the world’s water, land and soil resources. However, agriculture bears great promise to alleviate these pressures and provide multiple opportunities to contribute to global goals. Sustainable agricultural practices lead to water saving, soil conservation, sustainable land management, conservation of natural resources, ecosystem and climate change benefits

Undernourishment and severe and moderate food insecurity rates in Europe and Central Asia are, on average, much lower than in the rest of the world. However, more than 14 million people became moderately or severely food insecure from 2019 to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, with overweight and obesity well above the global prevalence – and on the rise – the region’s 50-plus countries must renew their commitments to ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030, as envisaged by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is opening the call for comments to the public regarding the importation of genetically modified (GM) wheat derived from the wheat line IND-00412-7. The line was developed to be drought- and herbicide-tolerant. The application is seeking to permit foods derived from GM wheat for importation into Australia and New Zealand, as well as to allow the sale and use of foods made from it.

An international collaboration involving 15 research institutes from eight countries has optimized efforts to introduce beneficial traits from wild wheat accessions in genebanks into existing wheat varieties. The research led by Sukhwinder Singh of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) as part of the Seeds of Discovery project extends many potential benefits to national breeding programs,