Gain-of-function experiments in the lab can help researchers get ahead of viruses naturally gaining the ability to infect people in the wild.
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Predictions suggest that Africa will suffer dramatic losses of crops and productive land as the climate warms. Perhaps adopting GM crops designed to tolerate stress can save the continent from famine.
A farmer shows smaller-than-usual soybeans harvested due to drought conditions in Tallapoosa, Georgia.
AP Photo/David Goldman
Many of the crop plants that feed us waste 20 percent of their energy, especially in hot weather. Plant geneticists prove that capturing this energy could boost crop yields by up to 40 percent.
CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology is being used in field from agriculture to medicine to food security and disease control.
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You may not agree with using the gene-editing tool, CRISPR, to alter the DNA of human babies. But what about using it to engineer plants? Or wipe out one of the world’s most dangerous creatures?
These fresh vegetables and fruits are the result of hundreds to thousands of years of plant breeding and selection.
Irina Sokolovskaya / Shutterstock.com
It has taken hundreds, if not thousands, of years to create the juicy, shiny produce that you take for granted at the supermarket. But now there is a faster way to domesticate wild fruits and veggies.
Genetic modification rules now cover gene edited crops but exclude plants bred traditionally with the same properties.
The Canadian government recently approved the sale of genetically modified golden rice that’s fortified with Vitamin A. It’s an example of a GM food that directly benefits consumers.
Josep Folta/Flickr
Why are consumers so reluctant to embrace genetically modified foods? A new study suggests agricultural biotech companies are failing to show consumers a personal benefit to buying GM foods.
Genetically engineered tobacco plants growing in a greenhouse.
Paul South
Paul South, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
As the climate changes and the population grows, meeting the demand for food will become more difficult as arable land declines. But an international team of scientists has figured out an innovative solution to dramatically bumping up crop yields.
South Africa is the only country in the world that permits its staple food, maize, to be grown from genetically modified seed.
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GMO crops have been rejected by many countries and consumers. Now, an international team of researchers are creating better crops using DNA editing–without inserting foreign genes into the plant.
Trying to sort truth about food from fiction can be overwhelming.
TheeErin
When the United States was settled, nearly everyone was a farmer. Today only 2 percent of Americans live on farms, and many of us are illiterate about where food comes from or what kinds are healthy.
New research pinpoints the genes that could counteract decades of bland breeding.
Cassava makes up nearly 50 percent of the diet in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where populations are projected to increase by more than 120 percent in the next 30 years.
CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Cassava is a key food source in tropical countries, but yields have been flat for decades. New genetic research is identifying many options for boosting production of this valuable staple crop.
Genome editing and synthetic biology are giving rise to new forms of life. But do these organisms have conservation value as part of earth’s biodiversity?
Field tests of flood-tolerant ‘scuba rice.’
International Rice Research Institute/Flickr
Advocates have argued for years about whether genetically engineered crops are safe to grow and eat. Plant pathologist and geneticist Pamela Ronald calls for a more nuanced discussion.
Are genetically engineered crops safe for human health and the environment? A new report says yes but points out problems and regulatory gaps. Three members of the study panel offer their takeaways.