Biotech Updates

Australia's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has issued license DIR 199 to Queensland University of Technology (QUT), to commercially cultivate QCAV-4, a genetically modified (GM) variety of Cavendish banana resistant to the fungal disease Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), also known as Panama disease.

Uruguay Considers Gene Drives to Combat Screwworms

Uruguay has been battling with the New World screwworm infestations for several decades. Screwworm fly larvae, hatched from eggs laid by the female, burrow into cattle flesh, causing fatal wounds if left untreated. Thus, the pest poses a risk to agriculture and the economy.

Scientists Grow Meat Inside Rice Grains

Scientists from Yonsei University developed cultured beef rice, rice grains with animal muscle and fat cells inside. The findings of their study published in Matter show that cultured beef rice has 8% more protein and 7% more fat than regular rice.

Bioluminescent Petunias to Enter US Market for the First Time

Consumers in the United States can now purchase and grow the genetically engineered Firefly Petunias in their gardens and homes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), this modified petunia is unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk than other produced petunias.

Pinoy Biotek Seminar: PCR Based Detection Kit for Salmonella on Meat

ISAAA Inc., in partnership with the University of the Philippines-Diliman Institute of Biology, will hold the hybrid event titled Pinoy Biotek Seminar: PCR Based Detection Kit for Salmonella on Meat on March 12, 2024, at 9:00 AM (GMT+8). The registration is now open.