Sunday Evening News 432 - Week 28 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
July 2025-07-07 - July 2025-07-13
Zu Beginn der dänischen Präsidentschaft nehmen AFBV und WGG in Teil 1 dieser Mitteilung zu den noch offenen Fragen aus dem Trilog-Verfahren Stellung. Im zweiten Teil gehen sie auf die Kriterien von Anhang I ein und geben Empfehlungen, um einen ausgewogenen Kompromiss zu ermöglichen. Die vollständige Mitteilung ist einsehbar unter: https://www.wggev.de/wp-content/uploads/Gemeinsame-Stellungnahme-von-AFBV-und-WGG-vom-4.Juli-20025-final.pdf
Trilog-Verfahren: https://www.wggev.de/trilog-verfahren-zur-regulierung-von-ngt-pflanzen/
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fettwissenschaft e.V. (DGF): 5th International Congress on Mineral Oil Contaminants in Food
30. September bis 1. Oktober 2025, Berlin.
https://veranstaltungen.gdch.de/microsite/index.cfm?l=11848&modus=
Save the date: German Conference on Synthetic Biology 2026
Münster, 13. März 2026
https://gcsb2026.de/Call+for+Abstracts.html
Intl. Congress on Biotechnology slated for October
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/515499/Intl-Congress-on-Biotechnology-slated-for-October
zumindest leseswert!
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
BERLINER ABENDGESPRÄCH: Genomeditierung auf der Zielgeraden – Vorschläge der Agrarbranche für eine praktikable
EU-Regulierung
Klaus T.: EU-Verhandlungen zur Neuen Gentechnik stocken
AK-Wien: Neue Gentechnik (202)
https://emedien.arbeiterkammer.at/viewer/!metadata/AC16079649/309/-/
New Genetic Engineering - possible unintended effects (208)
https://emedien.arbeiterkammer.at/viewer/!toc/AC16982244/26/LOG_0027/
EU: Choose Europe for life sciences
VBIO: EU-Life-Science-Strategie als Signal zum Aufbruch – auf die Umsetzung kommt es an!
Gabrielczyk T.: European Commission to fund Life Sciences Strategy using Cohesion Fund resources
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: July, week 28
Publications – Publikationen
Schulman A.H., Hartung F., Smulders, M.J.M, Sundström J.F., Wilhelm R., Rognli E.A., Metzlaff K. (2025): Proposed EU NGT
legislation in light of plant genetic variation. Plant Biotechnol. J. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70228
The European Commission (EC) proposal for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) of July 2023 specifies that Category 1 NGT (NGT1) plants, which are considered equivalent to conventional plants, that is those obtainable by conventional plant breeding or mutagenesis, may differ from the recipient or parental plant by no more than 20 insertions, which cannot be longer than 20 bp; deletions can be no more than 20 but of any size. Here, we examine the proposed 20/20 NGT1 limit against the background of the theoretical considerations and older data used to frame it and in light of recent data from highly contiguous long-read assemblies for reference genomes and pangenomes. We find that current genomic data indicate that natural variation in germplasm used by breeders is much greater than earlier understood and that both conventional breeding and mutagenesis can introduce genomic changes that are both more extensive in size and more frequent than the NGT Category 1 ‘20 insertions of maximum 20 bp’ limit would allow. Furthermore, natural variation also scales with genome size and complexity, a factor not considered in the EC proposal. We conclude that the proposed cut-offs under which an NGT plant is considered equivalent to conventional plants do not align with what is observed in nature, conventional breeding and mutagenesis. Updating the 20/20 rule to broader limits would facilitate breeding for climate resilience, farming sustainability and nutritional security, while ensuring that NGT1 plants are equivalent to conventional ones.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.70228
Twardowski T. (2025): Legal and social aspects of biotechnology: Towards a circular bioeconomy. Current Opinion in Green
and Sustainable Chemistry, 101041 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2025.101041
Modern biotechnology, particularly technologies stemming from genetic engineering are at the core of the scientific and innovative foundation of the most of different bioeconomy policies developed around the world. The challenges and perspectives of bioeconomies are immense, but most of them are focused to guarantee food security and quality, new biomaterials and bioenergy, as well as new drugs and diagnosis techniques in a sustainable and economics way for 9 billion people for the year 2050. In the discussions about bioeconomies, the expectations and needs are enormous, and they focus on guaranteeing safety and quality in a sustainable and economical way for all people, towards circular bioeconomy.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2452223625000458
Gomez-Felipe,A. (2025): A magic pocket: An all-in-one CRISPR toolbox for plants, The Plant Cell 37,(5), koaf120,
https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koaf120
https://academic.oup.com/plcell/article/37/5/koaf120/8129821?login=false
Lokya, V., Singh, S., Chaudhary, R. et al. (2025): Emerging trends in transgene-free crop development: insights into genome
editing and its regulatory overview. Plant Mol Biol 115, 84 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-025-01600-x
Genome editing tools have revolutionized plant biology research offering unparalleled applications for genome manipulation and trait improvement in crops. Adopting such advanced biotechnological tools is inevitable to meet increasing global food demand and address challenges in food production, including (a)biotic stresses and inadequate nutritional value. Despite reliance on conventional genetic manipulation methods, the CRISPR–Cas-mediated genome editing toolbox allows precise modification of DNA/RNA in a target organism’s genome. So far, CRISPR–Cas has been widely used to enhance yield, quality, stress tolerance, and nutritional value in various food crops. However, challenges such as reagent delivery in suitable explants, precise editing with minimal off-target effect, and generating transgene-free plants persist as major bottlenecks in most plant species. Components of CRISPR–Cas construct mainly Cas, guide RNA (gRNA), and selectable marker genes are often integrated into the host genome, which raises regulatory concerns. However, adapting advanced gene-editing strategies, including high-efficiency Cas endonucleases, DNA-independent RNP delivery, morphogenetic regulators, and grafting-mediated editing, are paving the way for transgene-free crop improvement while easing biosafety regulations. Further, regulatory frameworks for genome-edited crops vary globally, with several countries accepting them and others debating their legal status. Hence, the disparity in global regulatory guidelines of genome editing curbs commercialization. The current review highlights the emerging CRISPR-mediated tools or methods and their applications in developing transgene-free designer crops to harness the benefits of advanced genome manipulation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11103-025-01600-x
Keiper F. and Atanassova A. (2025): International synthetic biology policy developments and implications for global
biodiversity goals. Front. Synth. Biol. 3:1585337 | doi: 10.3389/fsybi.2025.1585337
In December 2022, the governments of 196 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), a strategic plan to support and advance implementation of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its subsidiary agreements, including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Protocol). The KMGBF includes a “biosafety” target (Target 17), that reflects the CBD obligations for Parties to implement biosafety measures, and measures for handling biotechnology and distributing its benefits. The unprecedented inclusion of a biosafety target in the KMGBF, with explicit recognition of benefits and its placement amongst other targets for “tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming”, has ignited hope for renewed recognition of the potential for biotechnology to contribute to global environmental goals. This would mark a shift in this international forum that began with these intentions, but subsequently changed focus towards the potential adverse impacts of biotechnology and restrictive application of precaution. Simultaneously, a decade-long program of work on “synthetic biology” has been examining the implications of new developments in biotechnologies for the objectives of the CBD, with an emphasis on the scope and adequacy of existing biosafety measures, and more recently, “horizon scanning” for new technological developments. This review provides an overview of the status of biotechnology/synthetic biology policy developments under the CBD, focusing on the period from the drafting of the KMGBF in 2018 to current programs of work resulting from decisions made at the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference. These are expected to have implications for biotechnology/synthetic biology capacity development and adoption, and implementation of the KMGBF. Relevant parallel policy developments under other international fora, including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are also examined.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/synthetic-biology/articles/10.3389/fsybi.2025.1585337/full
Létinois U., Crump S., Zerrer B., Hans M., Meunier P.B., Wyss M. (2025): Way Forward for Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology
in Europe.Chimia 7,9 344–351 | doi:10.2533/chimia.2025.344
To restrict global warming to a maximum of 1.5 °C, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced to ‘net zero’ by 2050. The transition from the current, largely fossil-based global economy towards a circular, no-waste (bio-) economy based on renewable raw materials is seen as a critical pillar. In this paper, we explore the sustainability benefits as well as the implementation opportunities and challenges in Europe for three biomanu-factured products used in animal and human nutrition, i.e. vitamins A and B2 and canthaxanthin. To allow the biomanufacturing industry to leverage its full potential and to achieve ‘net zero’ in time, it will be crucial for Eu-ropean policy makers to create the appropriate framework conditions for incentivizing the required transforma-tion of the chemical sector as well as for securing the competitiveness of European industry.
https://www.chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/2025_344/2025_344
V., A., B., S.K., Alex, S. et al. (2025): CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops: Current Advances
and Future Prospects. Plant Mol Biol Rep https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-025-01601-6
The escalating global population and adverse effects of climate change are placing unprecedented pressure on agriculture to produce food commodities in greater quantities. Abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, are primary constraints that diminish crop yields and threaten global food security. Traditional breeding and biotechnological approaches have contributed to the creation of tolerant cultivars, but they are often time-consuming, labour-intensive, and less efficient. CRISPR/Cas9, a powerful genome-editing tool, has emerged as a promising alternative due to its precision, efficiency, and capability to induce mutations in targeted regions. This review provides an overview of plant responses to abiotic stress, emphasizing the roles of key genes, signalling pathways, and transcriptional regulators involved in the process. The review also discusses how CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been employed in various crops to enhance tolerance to stresses such as drought, salinity, heat, and cold by editing stress-responsive genes. Recent advancements in CRISPR-based editing, including base editing, prime editing, and multiplex genome editing (MGE), are also highlighted. Despite its immense potential, challenges such as off-target effects, genome complexity, and regulatory hurdles must be addressed. CRISPR/Cas9 represents an innovative method for crop improvement, paving the way for the development of resilient crop cultivars adapted to changing climatic conditions.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11105-025-01601-6
Feng, JW., Pidon, H., Cuacos, M. et al. (2025): A haplotype-resolved pangenome of the barley wild relative Hordeum
bulbosum. Nature | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09270-x
Wild plants can contribute valuable genes to their domesticated relatives1. Fertility barriers and a lack of genomic resources have hindered the effective use of crop–wild introgressions. Decades of research into barley’s closest wild relative, Hordeum bulbosum, a grass native to the Mediterranean basin and Western Asia, have yet to manifest themselves in the release of a cultivar bearing alien genes2. Here we construct a pangenome of bulbous barley comprising 10 phased genome sequence assemblies amounting to 32 distinct haplotypes. Autotetraploid cytotypes, among which the donors of resistance-conferring introgressions are found, arose at least twice, and are connected among each other and to diploid forms through gene flow. The differential amplification of transposable elements after barley and H. bulbosum diverged from each other is responsible for genome size differences between them. We illustrate the translational value of our resource by mapping non-host resistance to a viral pathogen to a structurally diverse multigene cluster that has been implicated in diverse immune responses in wheat and barley.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09270-x
Li, R., Wang, X., Haj Ahmad, F. et al. (2025): Poltergeist-Like 2 (PLL2)-dependent activation of herbivore defence
distinguishes systemin from other immune signalling pathways. Nat. Plants | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02040-7
Systemin, the first signalling peptide identified in plants, mediates induced resistance against insect herbivores and necrotrophic pathogens in tomato1,2,3. Initially, systemin was conceived as a hormone-like, long-distance messenger that triggers systemic defence responses far from the site of insect attack. It was later found to rather act as a phytocytokine, amplifying the local wound response for the production of downstream signals that activate defence gene expression in distant tissues4. Systemin perception and signalling rely on the systemin receptor SYR15. However, the specifics of SYR1-dependent signalling and how systemin signalling differs from other immune signalling pathways remain largely unknown. Here we report that systemin activates the poltergeist-like phosphatase PLL2 in a SYR1-dependent manner. PLL2, in turn, regulates early systemin responses at the plasma membrane, including the rapid inhibition of proton pumps through dephosphorylation of their regulatory C-termini. PLL2 was found to be essential for downstream defence gene induction, ultimately contributing to insect resistance.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02040-7
Tetteh, A.Y., Donnelly, R. & Kausch, A.P. (2025): Creating partnerships in agricultural biotechnology through stronger STEM
education, project-based training, and research capacity building—a model toward programmatic opportunities for food security in Ghana. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Plant | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-025-10519-3
Complete seed systems with advanced crop breeding programs are critical to independent food security and a sustainable agricultural economy. Control over germplasm resources directs commercial agricultural markets and is requisite to an independent agricultural supply chain. The technological advances in genomics, plant transformation, and genome editing are now essential for crop improvement, regional germplasm development, and long-run agricultural productivity growth. Development of advanced breeding for complete seed systems requires building programs from education and training to research and development through to commercialization. Here, a model which includes curriculum development and innovative approaches to project-based training and research with relevant goals towards commercial products is presented.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11627-025-10519-3
Aumann R.A. et al (2025): Decoding and engineering temperature-sensitive lethality in Ceratitis capitata for pest control,
PNAS | DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2503604122
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally friendly method for effectively controlling pest insect populations based on releasing reared, sterile insects into infested areas. Sex sorting in rearing facilities, enabling male-only releases, is necessary to ensure SIT programs are efficient, cost-effective and, in case of mosquito control, also safe. This can be greatly facilitated by genetic sexing strains (GSS), exhibiting sex-specific phenotypic markers. However, the development of GSS remains challenging. The construction of a temperature-sensitive lethal (tsl)-based GSS in the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata) over three decades ago was considered a major breakthrough for SIT programs but was never successfully replicated in other pests. After over 30 y of research, we have pinpointed a specific mutation in the C. capitata lysine--tRNA ligase (Lysyl-tRNA synthetase, LysRS) gene responsible for the tsl phenotype. Introducing this specific mutation into a wild-type strain produced full embryonic lethality under heat stress, replicating the original mutant phenotype. The random integration of a LysRS minigene reversed this effect. The high conservation of LysRS among insects suggests that tsl-based GSS could be expanded to multiple pest species and extend applications of SIT programs for disease prevention and the protection of agriculture.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2503604122
(https://phys.org/news/2025-07-genetic-discovery-advances-insect-pest.html)
Tourinho P.S., Hochmanová Z., Kukučka P., HronováM et al. (2025): Occurrence of pesticide residues in harvested products of
various crops from European conventional and organic farming systems. Journal of Hazardous Materials 495, 139113 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139113
The occurrence of 192 pesticide residues was analysed in harvested products from conventional (CF) and organic farms (OF) across European countries, focusing on vineyards, orchards, vegetables, oilseeds, and cereals. Pesticide residues were detected in 85.7 % of CF samples, with 71.4 % having multiple residues, and in 40.0 % of OF samples, with 13.7 % having multiple residues. Total and median concentrations of detected residues were higher in CF than OF samples. The highest total concentration per sample was found in Portugal (214 µg/kg) for CF and Czechia (37 µg/kg) for OF. Fungicide pyrimethanil (290 µg/kg), herbicide glyphosate (192 µg/kg), and insecticide phosmet (177 µg/kg) showed the highest median concentrations in CF. Insecticide cypermethrin had the highest median concentration (88 µg/kg) in OF, while other substances were ≤ 10 µg/kg. OF had a higher proportion of banned substances than CF. In 12.2 % of CF samples and 5.3 % OF samples, the residue levels exceeded maximum residue levels. Our results highlight that the pesticide presence in crops is affected not only by farming systems but also by agricultural practices and crop types. Current risk assessment focuses on single substances and does not account for the exposure to multiple residues. However, our results demonstrated a frequent detection of multiple residues in CF samples.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389425020291
EFSA
GMO Panel (2025):. Assessment of genetically modified soybean DBN9004 (application EFSA-GMO-BE-2019-165). EFSA Journal, 23(7), e9503. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9503
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9503
BIOHAZ Panel (2025): Update of the list of qualified presumption of safety (QPS) recommended microbiological agents intentionally
added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 22: Suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until March 2025. EFSA Journal, 23(7), e9510. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9510
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9510