Sunday Evening News 403 - Week 47 - 2024
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
November 2024-11-25 - 2024-12-01
Meetings-Veranstaltungen
Universität Freiburg: Grüne Gentechnik-Chancen für Nachhaltigkeit?
Ringvorlesung im Rahmen des Studium generale
an der Universität Freiburg, Wintersemester 2024/25
EXTERNE Onlineveranstaltung: Saatgutvielfalt und genetische Ressourcen vor der Privatisierung schützen!
05.12.2024, 19.00 -20:30 Uhr
Hier geht’s zur Anmeldung: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eSa7ONLsTjOCLmbU56kceg
Online-Roundtable: "Freier Zugang zu Saatgut - für ein krisensicheres Ernährungssystem. Warum eine Reform des
Saatgutpatentrechts entscheidend ist"
09. Dezember 2024, 14.30 Uhr - 16 Uhr --englischsprachige Veranstaltung - keine Verdolmetschung
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
DNR : Parlament wählt neue EU-Kommission: Von der Leyens Team steht
De La Feld S.: Second Von der Leyen term kicks off; European Commission with the most fragile majority ever
POINT Newsletter Nr. 269 – November 2024
https://www.scienceindustries.ch/_file/37108/point-2024-11-269-d.pdf
Biowisskomm: Lebensmittel ohne Gentechnik?
Falker G.-M.: dm trommelt – zusammen mit zahlreichen anderen Unternehmen – beim EU-Rat für eine
Kennzeichnungspflicht neuer Gentechnik.
Meunier E: Through its silence, the European Commission has been keeping Mon810 maize authorised since 15 years
Brandon Peoples: Wheat grower encouraged by deregulation of HB4 trait
https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/wheat-grower-encouraged-by-deregulation-of-hb4-trait/
GVO.UK: Qualifying higher plant notification (reference: 24/Q07)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifying-higher-plant-notification-reference-24q07
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: November week 48
Publications – Publikationen
VBIO: Bd. 54 (2024): Biologie in unserer Zeit - Sonderheft CRISPR-Cas ... mehr als nur Verteidigung
https://www.biuz.de/index.php/biuz/issue/view/486
IAEA: Crop Improvement with Induced Genetic Variation to Cope with Drought in Rice and Sorghum
https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/CRCP-IGV-004web.pdf
Vigani, M., Fellmann, T., Porcella Capkovicova, A. et al. (2024): Harvesting resilience: adapting the EU agricultural system to
global challenges. npj Sustain. Agric. 2, 21 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00028-y
This paper examines the challenges and drivers shaping EU agriculture in the medium term, focusing on its capacity to meet societal demands and remain resilient. Key drivers include climate change, global population growth, and geopolitical shifts, while innovation fosters adaptation. The EU’s regulatory responses and the evolution of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will determine how agriculture reconciles environmental sustainability with farmers’ concerns about fair competition, influencing global outcomes.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-024-00028-y
Hernández-Soto, A., Gatica-Arias, A. (2024): Genome editing in Latin America: research achievements and regulatory
evolution. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 159, 55 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-024-02904-4
Genome editing, mainly CRISPR/Cas9, has been revolutionizing agricultural biotechnology through precise modifications to plant and animal genomes. This review highlights advancements in research and regulatory development of genome editing across Latin America. The region has seen substantial progress in building a regulatory framework to adopt genome editing technologies that enhance crop yield, nutritional content, and resistance to pests and diseases, as well as address critical challenges such as food insecurity and climate change. The article discusses the evolution of regulatory frameworks in various Latin American countries and their trends toward using foreign genetic material to determine regulatory oversight. Argentina pioneered this approach, followed by Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Honduras, and Guatemala. Recent updates from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Colombia reflect a similar rationale to balance innovation with safety and compliance with international standards. Regional examples of genome editing demonstrate the potential to improve crop quality and sustainability of coffee, rice, cacao, beans, and potatoes. Public perception and acceptance of genome editing are also explored, with surveys indicating strong support for regulatory measures in Costa Rica. The article further explores public perception and acceptance of genome editing indicating strong support for regulation in Costa Rica. The review underscores the importance of continued research, public engagement, and international cooperation that foster responsible development of genome-editing technologies in Latin America.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11240-024-02904-4
DeMaria, F., Romeo Lironcurti, S., Morandi, F., Pesce, A., Gazza, L., Nocente, F. (2024): Consumers’ response to genetically
modified food: an Italian case study. GM CROPS & FOOD 2024, VOL. 15, NO. 1, 303–315 | https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2024.2417473
The agricultural sector could benefit from biotechnologies in addressing challenges such as pests, droughts, and food supply issues. Genetically modified (GM) crops have been developed to offer not only economic advantages to farmers but also to contribute positively to the environment, human health, and consumer well-being. However, consumers’ hesitancy in buying GM food may stem from societal reactions to how biotechnologies in agriculture have been regulated so far. The legislative debate that led, in early 2024, to the approval of Commission’s proposal (COM(2023) 411 final) – aimed at simplifying the authorization process for plants obtained with certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) – has sparkled public discussion in the European Union on the application of biotechnologies in agriculture. This work aims to investigate Italian consumers’ acceptance toward GM food. Through data collected from an original survey (N = 564), we tested a) their level of knowledge of GM techniques; b) if they are aware of differences between established techniques based on classical approaches of crossing and selection and more precise biotechnological techniques; c) their propensity to buy GM food, with a specific focus on food safety and environmental sustainability issues. By using a Multinomial Logit Model (MNL), starting from three hypotheses, the study highlights a gap in knowledge transfer and, in general, the communication process. This results in widespread misinformation that hinders informed consumer choices. The study also emphasizes consumers’ sensitivity to food safety, including environmental issues, but still related to food safety issues.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645698.2024.2417473
Baffes J, Etienne X (2024) Yield growth patterns of food commodities: Insights and challenges. PLoS ONE 19(11):
e0313088. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313088
Understanding global food production and productivity patterns is crucial for policy and investment decisions aimed at addressing poverty, food insecurity, and climate change. This paper develops comprehensive calorific-based production and yield indices for 144 crops, covering 98% of global agricultural land and food output. These indices provide standardized measures across various crops and varieties, facilitating comparison of agricultural productivity and consolidating country and regional contributions to global food production. Utilizing a Box-Cox transformation, we find that a linear model best approximates yield growth. Our findings reveal that, at an aggregate level, there has been no discernable slowdown in global yield growth over the past six decades. This translates into an average annual yield increase equivalent to nearly 33 kilograms of wheat per hectare. These results suggest that any observed deceleration in specific commodities, regions, or countries, has been offset by gains in others. While these findings are reassuring from a global food supply perspective, caution is warranted about the sustainability of production and the affordability of food. These concerns are particularly relevant as global food demand increases due to population and income growth, and as the pressures from climate change intensify. The study underscores the importance of adopting strategic and sustainable agricultural practices to ensure continued food security in the face of evolving global challenges.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0313088
Jiao, C., Xie, X., Hao, C. et al. (2024): Pan-genome bridges wheat structural variations with habitat and breeding.
Nature | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08277-0
Wheat is the second largest food crop with a very good breeding system and pedigree record in China. Investigating the genomic footprints of wheat cultivars will unveil potential avenues for future breeding efforts1,2. Here we report chromosome-level genome assemblies of 17 wheat cultivars that chronicle the breeding history of China. Comparative genomic analysis uncovered a wealth of structural rearrangements, identifying 249,976 structural variations with 49.03% (122,567) longer than 5 kb. Cultivars developed in 1980s displayed significant accumulations of structural variations, a pattern linked to the extensive incorporation of European and American varieties into breeding programmes of that era. We further proved that structural variations in the centromere-proximal regions are associated with a reduction of crossover events. We showed that common wheat evolved from spring to winter types via mutations and duplications of the VRN-A1 gene as an adaptation strategy to a changing environment. We confirmed shifts in wheat cultivars linked to dietary preferences, migration and cultural integration in Northwest China. We identified large presence or absence variations of pSc200 tandem repeats on the 1RS terminal, suggesting its own rapid evolution in the wheat genome. The high-quality genome assemblies of 17 representatives developed and their good complementarity to the 10+ pan-genomes offer a robust platform for future genomics-assisted breeding in wheat.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08277-0
Sikora S, Buell CR, Douches DS and Nadakuduti SS (2024): Genome-wide evaluation of gene editing outcomes using
CRISPR/Cas9 in seed propagated Camelina sativa and vegetatively propagated Solanum tuberosum. Front. Plant Sci. 15:1496861. | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1496861
CRISPR/Cas9 is the most popular genome editing platform for investigating gene function or improving traits in plants. The specificity of gene editing has yet to be evaluated at a genome-wide scale in seed-propagated Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz (camelina) or clonally propagated Solanum tuberosum L. (potato). In this study, seven potato and nine camelina stable transgenic Cas9-edited plants were evaluated for on and off-target editing outcomes using 55x and 60x coverage whole genome shotgun sequencing data, respectively. For both potato and camelina, a prevalence of mosaic somatic edits from constitutive Cas9 expression was discovered as well as evidence of transgenerational editing in camelina. CRISPR/Cas9 editing provided negligible off-target activity compared to background variation in both species. The results from this study guide deployment and risk assessment of genome editing in commercially relevant traits in food crops.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1496861/full
European Commission: Joint Research Centre, BROOTHAERTS, W., BEAZ HIDALGO, M.R., MAYO LEON, F., DEHOUCK, P., EMTEBORG,
H., ROBOUCH, P., SEGHERS, J. and VINCENT, U., Determination of GM soybean event MON87708 in soy protein concentrate and GM maize event MON89034 in cornflakes, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/4919326;, JRC140234.
He S, Fan Y, Tao S, Zhang Y, Yin C and Yu X. (2024): Application of next-generation sequencing in the detection of
transgenic crop. Front. Genet. 15:1461115. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1461115
With the rapid development of transgenic technology and the increasing prevalence of genetically modified (GMO) crops, incidents such as illegal importation, environmental contamination, and safety concerns associated with GMOs have risen significantly in recent years. Consequently, there is a growing demand for more advanced methods of GMO crop detection. Traditional molecular detection techniques, which rely on nucleic acids or proteins, are becoming less effective due to the increasing complexity of GMO crop genomes. In contrast, detection technologies based on second- and third-generation high-throughput sequencing offer promising solutions to these challenges. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in GMO crop detection technologies, categorizing and describing various approaches, and comparing their respective strengths and limitations. The article emphasizes the current state, benefits, challenges, and future prospects of high-throughput sequencing in GMO detection, aiming to guide further research and development in this field.
Gelabert, P., Bickle, P., Hofmann, D. et al. (2024): Social and genetic diversity in first farmers of central Europe.
Nat Hum Behav (| https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02034-z
The Linearbandkeramik (LBK) Neolithic communities were the first to spread farming across large parts of Europe. We report genome-wide data for 250 individuals: 178 individuals from whole-cemetery surveys of the Alföld Linearbankeramik Culture eastern LBK site of Polgár-Ferenci-hát, the western LBK site of Nitra Horné Krškany and the western LBK settlement and massacre site of Asparn-Schletz, as well as 48 LBK individuals from 16 other sites and 24 earlier Körös and Starčevo individuals from 17 more sites. Here we show a systematically higher percentage of western hunter-gatherer ancestry in eastern than in western LBK sites, showing that these two distinct LBK groups had different genetic trajectories. We find evidence for patrilocality, with more structure across sites in the male than in the female lines and a higher rate of within-site relatives for males. At Asparn-Schletz we find almost no relatives, showing that the massacred individuals were from a large population, not a small community.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02034-z
Alkotami L., White D.J., Schuler K.M.+9 , and Timothy P. Durrett T.P. (2024): Targeted engineering of camelina and
pennycress seeds for ultrahigh accumulation of acetyl-TAG. PNAS 121 (47), e2412542121 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2412542121
Acetyl-TAG (3-acetyl-1,2-diacylglycerol), unique triacylglycerols (TAG) possessing an acetate group at the sn-3 position, exhibit valuable properties, such as reduced viscosity and freezing points. Previous attempts to engineer acetyl-TAG production in oilseed crops did not achieve the high levels found in naturally producing Euonymus seeds. Here, we demonstrate the successful generation of camelina and pennycress transgenic lines accumulating nearly pure acetyl-TAG at 93 mol% and 98 mol%, respectively. These ultrahigh acetyl-TAG synthesizing lines were created using gene-edited FATTY ACID ELONGASE1 (FAE1) mutant lines as an improved genetic background to increase levels of acetyl-CoA available for acetyl-TAG synthesis mediated by the expression of EfDAcT, a high-activity diacylglycerol acetyltransferase isolated from Euonymus fortunei. Combining EfDAcT expression with suppression of the competing TAG-synthesizing enzyme DGAT1 further enhanced acetyl-TAG accumulation. These ultrahigh levels of acetyl-TAG exceed those in earlier engineered oilseeds and are equivalent or greater than those in Euonymus seeds. Imaging of lipid localization in transgenic seeds revealed that the low amounts of residual TAG were mostly confined to the embryonic axis. Similar spatial distributions of specific TAG and acetyl-TAG molecular species, as well as their probable diacylglycerol (DAG) precursors, provide additional evidence that acetyl-TAG and TAG are both synthesized from the same tissue-specific DAG pools. Remarkably, this ultrahigh production of acetyl-TAG in transgenic seeds exhibited minimal negative effects on seed properties, highlighting the potential for production of designer oils required for economical biofuel industries.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2412542121