Sunday Evening News 442 - Week 38 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
September 2025-09-15 - September 2025-09-21
Kohlmeier H.: Steak für 410 Euro auf dem Oktoberfest
Laut seiner Menükarte werde das Fleisch „frei von Wachstumshormonen und ohne Antibiotika oder gentechnisch verändertem Futtermittel“ gezüchtet.
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Leoplodina: Vertrauen in generative KI – Wissenschaft und Politik im Dialog“
Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2025, 12:30 bis 13:30 Uhr
Online via Zoom
https://www.leopoldina.org/presse-1/pressemitteilungen/pressemitteilung/press/3165/
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Trafton A. | MIT News: A more precise way to edit the genome
https://news.mit.edu/2025/more-precise-way-edit-genome-0917
Nanjing Agricultural University: The Academy of Science: Gene editing unlocks efficient hybrid seed production in rapeseed
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1098312
Scientists to explore "Natural Genetic Engineering" to accelerate crop evolution
Commission: Food and feed safety – simplification omnibus
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: September week 38
Publications – Publikationen
Mundorf, J., Simon, S. & Engelhard, M. (2025): The European Commission’s regulatory proposal on new genomic techniques
in plants: a focus on equivalence, complexity, and artificial intelligence. Environ Sci Eur 37, 143 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-025-01199-2
The European Commission has proposed to amend the EU GMO regulation, exempting certain genetically modified plants generated with new genomic techniques (NGTs) from risk assessment. In the suggested lex specialis so-called “category 1 NGT plants” would be treated as equivalent to conventionally bred plants, if they meet threshold-based criteria, which limit the number and size of induced genetic changes. Here, we critically analyze the scientific validity of these thresholds and show that the proposal oversimplifies genetic complexity—disregarding the biological context, mutational bias, and functional consequences. The proposal’s central claim of equivalence between NGT1 plants and conventionally bred plants is thus scientifically unfounded. Many conceivable genetic modifications produced with NGTs—including those created with CRISPR prime editing and AI-assisted design—could be highly complex and exceed the capabilities of conventional breeding. Nevertheless, the regulatory proposal treats all possible genetic changes as equally likely and overlooks the purpose and function of genetic edits. By eliminating case-by-case risk assessment, the proposal creates a regulatory gap that allows complex and novel traits to bypass scrutiny—undermining the EU’s legally binding precautionary principle. In contrast, a risk-based regulatory approach is needed to ensure safe and future-proof oversight of NGT plants.
https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-025-01199-2
COGEM: Introgression from cultivated plants into their wild relatives
Research reports | 19.09.2025 | CGM 2025-02
The outcrossing of genetically modified (GM) plants to wild relatives, and the subsequent spread of transgenes in nature are key elements in the environmental risk assessment of experiments involving GM plants and crops. Given the possible introduction of crops developed using new genomic techniques (NGTs) into the environment, it is important to determine whether introgression from cultivated plants to their wild relatives occurs, how it can be detected, the factors that contribute to it, the scale of its occurrence and its potential impact on wild populations. To gain more insight into this issue, Margret Veltman of the French National Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) in Montpellier conducted a literature review on behalf of COGEM.
The research presented focuses on all genera and species in which research into introgression from cultivated plants to wild relatives has been conducted. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the technical possibilities for detecting introgression and the parameters that influence it, as well as studies describing introgression based on frequency in populations or size in genomes.
It concludes that introgression into wild relatives is widespread, regardless of reproductive biology or ploidy level, and that it is virtually impossible to prevent introgression from crops into wild relatives, with unpredictable consequences.
https://cogem.net/en/publication/introgression-from-cultivated-plants-into-their-wild-relatives/
Research report: https://cogem.net/app/uploads/2025/09/CGM-2025-02-Introgression-from-cultivated-plants-into-their-wild-relatives.pdf
Chauhan, V.P., Sharp, P.A. & Langer, R. (2025): Engineered prime editors with minimal genomic errors. Nature |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09537-3
Prime editors make programmed genome modifications by writing new sequences into extensions of nicked DNA 3′ ends1. These edited 3′ new strands must displace competing 5′ strands to install edits, yet a bias towards retaining the competing 5′ strands hinders efficiency and can cause indel errors2. Here we discover that nicked end degradation, consistent with competing 5′ strand destabilization, can be promoted by Cas9-nickase mutations that relax nick positioning. We exploit this mechanism to engineer efficient prime editors with strikingly low indel errors. Combining this error-suppressing strategy with the latest efficiency-boosting architecture, we design a next-generation prime editor (vPE). Compared with previous editors, vPE features comparable efficiency yet up to 60-fold lower indel errors, enabling edit:indel ratios as high as 543:1.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09537-3
Stadager J., Bernardini C., Hartmann L., May H. et al. (2025): CRISPR GENome and epigenome engineering improves loss-of-
function genetic-screening approaches. Cell Rep Methods. 16; 5(6): 101078. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2025.101078.
CRISPR-Cas9 technology has revolutionized genotype-to-phenotype assignments through large-scale loss-of-function (LOF) screens. However, limitations like editing inefficiencies and unperturbed genes cause significant noise in data collection. To address this, we introduce CRISPR gene and epigenome engineering (CRISPRgenee), which uses two specific single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to simultaneously repress and cleave the target gene within the same cell, increasing LOF efficiencies and reproducibility. CRISPRgenee outperforms conventional CRISPR knockout (CRISPRko), CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), and CRISPRoff systems in suppressing challenging targets and regulators of cell proliferation. Additionally, it efficiently suppresses modulators of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and impairs neuronal differentiation in a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model. CRISPRgenee exhibits improved depletion efficiency, reduced sgRNA performance variance, and accelerated gene depletion compared to individual CRISPRi or CRISPRko screens, ensuring consistency in phenotypic effects and identifying more significant gene hits. By combining CRISPRko and CRISPRi, CRISPRgenee increases LOF rates without increasing genotoxic stress, facilitating library size reduction for advanced LOF screens.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667237525001146
Ton LB, Qayyum Z, Amas J, Thomas WJW, Edwards D., Batley J., Dolatabadian A. (2025): Applications of CRISPR/Cas tools in
improving stress tolerance in Brassica crops. Front. Plant Sci. 16:1616526 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1616526
Brassica species, which include economically important Brassica crops grown around the globe, are important as popular vegetables, forage, and oilseed crops, supplying food for humans and animals. Despite their importance, these crops face increasing challenges from biotic and abiotic stresses, exacerbated by climate change and the evolving threat of crop pathogens. Enhancing crop resilience against these stresses has become a key priority to ensure stable crop production. Recent advancements in genomic studies on Brassica crops and their pathogens have facilitated the deployment of CRISPR/Cas systems in breeding major Brassica crops. This review highlights recent progress in CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing technologies to improve resistance to pathogens and enhance tolerance to drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. It also summarises the molecular mechanisms underlying crop responses to these stresses. Furthermore, the review discusses the workflow for employing the CRISPR/Cas system to boost stress tolerance and resistance, outlines the associated challenges, and explores prospects based on gene editing research in Brassica species.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1616526/full
Shen X., Dong Q., Zhao X., Hu L. et al. (2025): Targeted mutation of BnaMS1/BnaMS2 combined with the RUBY reporter
enables an efficient two-line system for hybrid seed production in Brassica napus, Horticulture Research, 12 (1), uhae270, | https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhae270
The recessive genic male sterility (RGMS) method has several benefits in hybrid seed production; however, it is seldom employed in industrial hybrid seed production owing to the difficulty of producing an ample number of pure male-sterile seeds. In this study, we present an efficient methodology for developing a two-line strategy to produce hybrid seed through targeted mutation of BnaMS1 and BnaMS2 in conjunction with the RUBY reporter in Brassica napus. In this method, male-sterile lines were successfully created directly from different elite rapeseed breeding lines through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis and enhanced Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. To establish an efficient transgenic maintainer, three seed production technology (SPT) cassettes carrying a functional BnaMS1 gene linked to different reporters (DsRed, BnaA07.PAP2, and RUBY) were tested and compared in rapeseed. The results indicated that the PMR-based reporter possesses advantages such as phenotypic stability and ease of identification at early stages, making it an ideal tool for rapid and efficient screening. Subsequently, ideal transgenic maintainer lines with a single hemizygous copy of the SPT cassette were successfully developed in the context of Bnams1Bnams2 double mutants. The progeny from crossing the maintainer line with its male-sterile counterpart exhibited a 1:1 segregation pattern of nontransgenic male-sterile and male-fertile maintainer plants, distinguishable by seedling color. This biotechnological approach to male sterility offers promising prospects for improving the propagation of recessive genic male-sterile plants and the development of hybrid seeds in rapeseed. Furthermore, it is simple to adapt this technique to more Brassica crops.
https://academic.oup.com/hr/article/12/1/uhae270/7775570
Mmbando, G.S., Massawe, D.P. (2025): Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.): a potential genetic resource for breeding crops
with combined stress-resistance in semi-arid environments. Discov Biotechnol 2, 26 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44340-025-00036-9
The present review critically examines the significance of tolerant genotypes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a potential genetic resource to enhance the resilience of other crops in semi-arid environments to combined stresses. Semi-arid areas are especially susceptible to the cumulative effects of various biotic and abiotic stressors, such as pathogens, drought, salinity, scanty rainfall, and high temperatures, which pose a threat to the sustainability of agriculture. We have gone thorough review of the literature to clarify the physiological, genetic, and adaptive processes that allow some genotypes of sunflowers to flourish in such harsh environments. This review has offered valuable perspectives on the feasibility of utilizing these genotypes in crop breeding methods, including genetic engineering and gene editing, aimed at creating cultivars with a combined stress-resistance mechanism. This review highlights the significance of sunflower genotypes as a valuable genetic resource and as a key component of sustainable agriculture in semi-arid regions. This study provides crucial information that will help ensure food security in semi-arid regions and advance sustainable farming in the situation of a changing climate.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44340-025-00036-9
Gupta, D., Patinios, C., Bassett, H.V. et al. (2025): Targeted DNA ADP-ribosylation triggers templated repair in bacteria and
base mutagenesis in eukaryotes. Nat Biotechnol | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-025-02802-w
Base editors create precise genomic edits by directing nucleobase deamination or removal without inducing double-stranded DNA breaks. However, a vast chemical space of other DNA modifications remains to be explored for genome editing. Here we harness the bacterial antiphage toxin DarT2 to append ADP-ribosyl moieties to DNA, unlocking distinct editing outcomes in bacteria versus eukaryotes. Fusing an attenuated DarT2 to a Cas9 nickase, we program site-specific ADP-ribosylation of thymines within a target DNA sequence. In tested bacteria, targeting drives homologous recombination, offering flexible and scar-free genome editing without base replacement or counterselection. In tested yeast, plant and human cells, targeting drives substitution of the modified thymine to adenine or a mixture of adenine and cytosine with limited insertions or deletions, offering edits inaccessible to current base editors. Altogether, our approach, called append editing, leverages the addition of chemical moieties to DNA to expand current modalities for precision gene editing.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02802-w
Bal, H.K., Preftakes, C.J., Long, L. et al. (2025): Ecological risk assessment for Cry1Da_7, Cry1B.3 and Vip3Cb1 proteins
expressed in MON 89151 cotton: an insect-protected cotton with targeted activity against Lepidoptera. Transgenic Res 34, 42 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-025-00460-x
An ecological risk assessment (ERA) was conducted for MON 89151, which expresses three proteins (Cry1Da_7, Cry1B.3, and Vip3Cb1) developed to help protect against lepidopteran pests such as Heliothis virescens, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera frugiperda. The ERA focused on evaluating the potential risks to beneficial non-target organisms (NTOs) from MON 89151 cultivation, by examining the protein’s mode of action, insecticidal activity spectrum, ecological exposure levels, potential for environmental persistence, and hazard to representative NTO taxa under laboratory conditions. The protection goal driving the ERA was preserving key ecosystem services provided by NTOs in agriculture. The Cry1Da_7 and Cry1B.3 proteins, the same and/or similar to previously registered (Cry1Da_7 in MON 95379 maize) and/or reviewed (Cry1B.2 in MON 94637 soybean) insecticidal proteins, have been demonstrated to pose negligible risks to NTOs, enabling a bridging approach to existing hazard testing for these proteins. The third protein in MON 89151, Vip3Cb1 also demonstrated no adverse effects on NTOs at or above expected environmental concentrations under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the ERA concluded that cultivation of MON 89151 would pose minimal ecological risk to NTOs, supporting its safety in agricultural ecosystems.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11248-025-00460-x
Ahmed B., Raut B., Pauley A., Davidson J.L., Yang S., Verma M.S. (2025): Development of a portable paper-based biosensor
for the identification of genetically modified corn (Zea mays) and soybean (Glycine max). Biosensors and Bioelectronics 287, 117690 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2025.117690
Genetically modified (GM) crops like corn and soy offer enhanced resistance traits but require consistent monitoring to manage gene flow, prevent resistant pests/weeds, and ensure regulatory compliance. In this study, we present a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) biosensor for the rapid and cost-effective detection of hybrid corn (Roundup Hybridization System 1, RHS1) and soy (Roundup-Ready 1 and 2, RR1 and RR2) traits directly from crude leaf extracts. Our μPAD-LAMP assay offers a promising solution for GM detection, characterized by its speed (within 60 min), simplicity (straightforward design), and affordability ($2.90 per test). We developed μPAD-LAMP cartridges and utilized an image analysis algorithm for time-resolved quantification of colorimetric changes, improving objectivity and accuracy. Our platform detected GM traits at 65 °C using a 1:7 dilution of leaf extracts in 0.12–0.25 % SDS in water, without needing DNA purification. The limit of detection (LoD) for RHS1, RR1, and RR2 targets was 1.40 × 103, 1.10 × 103, and 1.00 × 103 genomic copies per reaction, respectively, with our μPAD-LAMP system. This portable μPAD-LAMP platform achieves 100 % specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy in detecting GM corn and soy from leaf extracts, demonstrating its potential as a reliable on-site detection tool. Its adaptability to other GM crops or gene targets positions it as a promising standard for point-of-need (PON) assays in the GM industry.
Traniello I.M., Avalos, Gachomba M.J.M., Gernat T. et al. (2025): Genetic variation influences food-sharing sociability in honey
bees. PLOS Biology (2025). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003367
Individual variation in sociability is a central feature of every society. This includes honey bees, with some individuals well connected and sociable, and others at the periphery of their colony’s social network. However, the genetic and molecular bases of sociability are poorly understood. Trophallaxis—a behavior involving sharing liquid with nutritional and signaling properties—comprises a social interaction and a proxy for sociability in honey bee colonies: more sociable bees engage in more trophallaxis. Here, we identify genetic and molecular mechanisms of trophallaxis-based sociability by combining genome sequencing, brain transcriptomics, and automated behavioral tracking. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with variation in sociability. Several SNPs were localized to genes previously associated with sociability in other species, including in the context of human autism, suggesting shared molecular mechanisms of sociability. Variation in sociability also was linked to differential brain gene expression, particularly genes associated with neural signaling and development. Using comparative genomic and transcriptomic approaches, we also detected evidence for divergent mechanisms underpinning sociability across species, including those related to reward sensitivity and encounter probability. These results highlight both potential evolutionary conservation of the molecular roots of sociability and points of divergence.
https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003367