The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act has been granted Royal Assent and passed into law in the UK today. … read more
In January, Defra launched a public consultation on the regulation of genetic technologies in the UK. The government is expected … read more
Research, published in Nature Communications, reports that a 100% shift to organic farming could lead to a net increase in … read more
A new study published in Nature Communications suggests that emissions would be reduced as a result of organic farming, but … read more
The European Court of Justice has ruled that organisms obtained by mutagenesis – a set of techniques which make it possible to alter the genome of a living species without the insertion of foreign DNA – are GMOs and are, in principle, subject to the obligations laid down by the GMO directive. read more
A new review, published in Trends in Plant Science, examines the use of different plant breeding techniques to potentially enhance colour, texture and taste of the produce, as well to inform conventional breeding programs.
A new study, published in Nature Communications, explore – through genetically engineered tobacco plants – whether it is possible to develop crops that require less water per unit mass of production.
The EU Advocate General published their opinion on whether some genome-edited crops should be exempt from EU GMO rules. read more
As part of a large field study, publishing in Scientific Reports, researchers investigate how they can optimise omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid accumulation in transgenic GM Camelina. read more
Publishing in Scientific Reports researchers report NK603 genetically modified maize and its isogenic control are not substantially equivalent. read more
Scientists from Rothamsted Research, the University of Essex and Lancaster University provided an update on a new research project with GM wheat plants that have been engineered to carry out photosynthesis more efficiently. This trait has the potential for increased yields. read more
The US National Academies of Science has published a report on genetically modified crops looking at their impact since their introduction a three decades ago. read more
The GM Inspectorate of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that it has found the unintended presence of genetically modified seed in a batch of conventional oilseed rape imported from France, with seed from the same batch being recalled. A statement said: “there is no risk to adjacent crops or the wider environment”. read more
The German government is reported to have taken steps to stop the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. read more
In an opinion piece in The New England Journal of Medicine, two scientists have recommended that the US delay implementing use of a specific herbicide to be used on GM plants, and also that wider labeling takes place of foods which contain GM components. read more
The Scottish government has announced that it is to ban the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops. read more
The diets of rodents in food safety and toxicology studies is the topic of a paper published in the journal PLOS ONE, in which the authors report the presence of contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms in the feed or lab rodents. The authors go on to suggest that such contaminants could affect the reliability of toxicity testing in general. read more
The full results of the controversial GM wheat field trial held by Rothamsted Research in 2012-2013 have been published in the journal Scientific Reports. read more
The full results of the controversial GM wheat field trial held by Rothamsted Research in 2012-2013 are published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports. The first year of the trial, labelled by journalists as ‘the whiffy wheat’ trial, caused significant public attention when Take the Flour Back was formed to campaign against the field trial and held a protest at the site. The campaign became a something of a cause célèbre when the Rothamsted Researchers fought back with a YouTube video and petition appealing to activists not to destroy the trial site. In the event the campaigners did not disrupt the research and had no bearing on the performance of the trial or the gathering of results. read more
The Science and Technology Select Committee of the House of Commons has released a report on the regulation of GM techniques in agriculture, suggesting that they should be regulated in a similar way to other technologies. read more
