For the first time, researchers from Iowa State University (ISU) have mapped the molecular components that govern how plants under environmental stress interrupt their normal growth pathways by tapping into an important energy recycling function. The research shows that autophagy -- a system used both by plants and animals to recycle energy and molecular components -- plays a key role in slowing plant growth during times of stress.

An international study led by the University of British Columbia (UBC) evaluated the spread of genetically modified (GM) organisms to non-modified crops to figure out how far GM pollen travels, and develop accurate tools to estimate it.

 FAO and Consumers International, a global federation of consumer rights groups, have agreed to intensify their collaboration to help end hunger. The agreement recognizes that consumers around the world can be a powerful force for change towards more sustainable and equitable food systems.

Researchers at Oxford University and Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies started a new study on understanding the potential of marijuana to treat different diseases such as cancer and chronic pain. The initial funding of £10 million from Kingsley Capital Partners, a London-based venture capital firm, will be used to identify new medical therapies through research on the molecular, cellular, and systems mechanisms of cannabinoids. At present, marijuana is not yet legal in the U.K.

In an initiative to bring information to rural producers using biotechnology, Brazil's Biotechnology Information Council (CIB) conducted a survey on 1,250 rural producers to outline a scenario about farmers' understanding of the technologies used in soybean and corn crops, and to identify perceptions of their preservation in the field.

He proudly says that he has known CIAT for the past 50 years. When he was a little boy, his father brought him to the Center uncountable times; few years later he came back as a college student; then, being director of the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute, he spent time at CIAT’s genetic laboratories applying molecular biology tools for the study of biodiversity and here he established a tissue bank.

“BRAC has a long history of development work and commitment to food security and reduction of hunger and malnutrition through improved agricultural productivity,” said Sudhir Yadav, co-leader of the SIIL-Polder project that focuses on the coastal area of the country. “This makes the organization a good ally in improving the lives in polder communities in coastal Bangladesh.”

Journalists ascribed to the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association (UPPA), and members of the Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) have expressed their willingness to help readers and listeners to better understand biotechnology research work done in Uganda and the need for biosafety regulation. This was during a sensitization seminar on Biotechnology and Biosafety on March 20, 2017 at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Namulonge.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija is currently hosting a training designed to provide participants with knowledge and skills in rice seed production and the promotion of quality seed among African farmers.
 

Russia is backing an FAO-led effort to promote food safety and prevent the spread of medicine-resistant "superbugs" in food and on farms in five countries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe with a donation of nearly $3.3 million.