Sunday Evening News 449 - Week 45 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
November 2025-11-03 - 2025-11-09
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
LIFE platform meeting on AgriFood - The contribution of LIFE projects to achieving the objectives of the Vision for
Agriculture and Food
This event will take place on 3–4 December in Bologna, Italy, and is hosted by the University of Bologna and its IMAGE LIFE project, together with DG CLIMA and CINEA.
NOTICE OF MEETING AND PROVISIONAL AGENDA +PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE (Part 1)
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVIII/EU/43213/imfname_11536920.pdf
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Reuters: James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA's double helix, dead at 97
Tsaturyan A: James Watson and the Genetic Revolution: From DNA to Genetic Medicine
https://oncodaily.com/history/hall-of-fame/james-watson-and-dna
In Pictures: The race to discover the secrets of DNA
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51yxlzw0w0o
Countries that Ban GMOs 2025
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-ban-gmos
Aldrich A.Z.: New method makes transgene-free gene editing even more promising
https://phys.org/news/2025-11-method-transgene-free-gene.html
Pflanzen im Stresstest: Wie der Roggen seine Gene neu sortiert
Informationsdienst Gentechnik: Gentechnisch veränderte Mikroorganismen im Feldeinsatz
https://www.keine-gentechnik.de/nachricht/neu-auf-dem-feld-gentechnisch-veraenderte-mikroorganismen
Publications – Publikationen
Council of the European Union: 2025 Annual Progress Report on Simplification, Implementation and Enforcement
(Health, animal health and welfare, plants and plant health, food and feed safety)
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVIII/EU/42325/imfname_11534636.pdf
Andersen, E.A.L. (2025). The Regulation of Genetically Modified Plants in the European Union. In: Regulation of
Biotechnological Risks in a Multi-Level System. European Yearbook of International Economic Law(), vol 46. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02409-1_4
This chapter outlines the current legislatory framework for genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’) in the European Union (‘EU’), including authorisation procedures, labelling requirements, and a so-called opt-out mechanism. The key regulation is Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, supplemented by Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed and Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 concerning the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and the traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms. The EU employs a step-by-step approach, gradually releasing GMOs based on prior risk assessments. It also emphasises the precautionary principle. This chapter explains the authorisation process for GMOs which requires applications to meet the conditions set by EU law, as well as the EU’s comprehensive labelling regulations to strengthen consumer rights. Additionally, an opt-out mechanism allows EU member states to restrict or ban GMO cultivation within their territory when certain criteria are met.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-02409-1_4
Andersen, E.A.L. (2025): The Future of Genome Edited Plants in the EU. In: Regulation of Biotechnological Risks in a Multi-Level
System. European Yearbook of International Economic Law(), vol 46. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-02409-1_7
While the legal debate on whether genome edited organisms fall under the European Union (‘EU’) law regulating genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’) has been settled by the Court of Justice of the European Union (‘CJEU’), the discussion on whether the current legislation adequately regulates genome edited organisms continues. Since the CJEU’s judgement, calls for a less stringent EU regulation of genome edited organisms have increased, with stakeholders emphasising especially their potential for a more sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture. In July 2023, the EU Commission responded to these calls and published a proposal for a new regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (‘NGTs’).
This chapter outlines the process leading to the Commission’s proposal and compares the proposal to other reform suggestions that have been published so far. Furthermore, it analyses the Commission’s proposal in light of the findings of Chap. 6 and provides further recommendations.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-02409-1_7
Van der Laan, L., de Azevedo Peixoto, L. & Singh, A.K. (2025): Genetic dissection of heat stress tolerance in soybean through
genome-wide association studies and use of genomic prediction to enhance breeding applications. npj Sci. Plants 1, 9 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44383-025-00010-8
Rising temperatures and associated heat stress threaten soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] productivity. With few mitigation options, improving genetic tolerance is key. However, the genetics of heat tolerance in soybean remain understudied. We evaluated 450 accessions (maturity groups 0–IV) under optimal and heat stress conditions to characterize physiological and growth traits, explore trait relationships, and assess genomic prediction. We identified 37 significant marker–trait associations (MTAs): 20 unique MTAs in optimal conditions, 16 under heat stress, and one MTA for a heat tolerance index. Only one MTA was consistent across temperatures, indicating genetic divergence in responses. Genomic prediction had moderate predictive ability for biomass traits but less accurate for physiological traits related to photosynthetic parameters. Several heat-tolerant accessions were identified for use in breeding. These results provide insights into the genetic architecture of heat tolerance, supporting marker-assisted and genomic selection to develop heat-tolerant soybean varieties.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44383-025-00010-8
Li Y., Liu, Z., Gmitter Jr. F.G., Deng Z.et al. (2025): Substantial enhancement of Agrobacterium-mediated transgene-free
genome editing via short-term chemical selection using citrus as a model plant. Horticulture Research, 12 (9), uhaf153 | https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhaf153
Citrus production is threatened by biotic and abiotic stresses, particularly Huanglongbing (HLB), creating an urgent need for efficient engineering of citrus for disease resistance. Gene editing, especially transgene-free approaches, offers a promising alternative to traditional breeding, which is slow and constrained by citrus’ long juvenile phase. However, producing transgene-free, genome-edited citrus remains challenging. Here, we present a novel method to significantly enhance the efficiency of transgene-free gene editing in citrus using Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of Cas9 and gRNAs. By treating Agrobacterium cells and citrus explants and applying a 3-day transient kanamycin selection, we achieved a 17-fold increase in transgene-free editing efficiency. The transient kanamycin-mediated suppression of shoot regeneration from non-Agrobacterium-infected cells not only improved the efficiency of identifying edited plants but also enhanced shoot regeneration efficiency from Agrobacterium-infected cells, regardless of whether these cells had stably incorporated T-DNA or not. This enhancement was likely due to reduced competition for space and nutrients from shoots regenerated from noninfected cells. In experiments targeting the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene, transgene-free mutant shoot recovery increased from 0.017% to 0.291% of the total shoots produced. With an efficient screening method for gene-edited plants, the development of transgene-free gene-edited plants becomes relatively easy and practicable. These results suggest that this optimized protocol could be applicable to other perennial crops, offering a valuable tool for improving citrus varieties and other economically important plants.
https://academic.oup.com/hr/article/12/9/uhaf153/8258027
Waesch, C., Gaede, N., Gao, Y., Ehle, M., Himmelbach, A., Fuchs, J., Johnston, S.E. and Dreissig, S. (2025): Population-wide
single-pollen nuclei genotyping in rye sheds light on the genetic basis and environmental plasticity of meiotic recombination. New Phytol. | https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70656
The core molecular machinery of meiosis is conserved deep across eukaryotic lineages. Nevertheless, recombination landscapes vary at multiple scales, from chromosomes to populations, caused by an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. To improve our understanding of the causes and consequences of this variation, we need to identify the underlying genetic architecture.
In this work, we explored the genetic basis and environmental plasticity of meiotic recombination in a large rye population grown under control and nutrient-deficient conditions. We used single-pollen nuclei (SPN) genotyping to directly measure male meiotic crossovers in 3136 pollen nuclei from 584 individuals.
We detected a significant reduction of crossovers in response to nutrient deficiency. Using genome-wide association scans, we uncovered the genetic basis of crossover count, crossover interference, and intrachromosomal shuffling. The presence of multiple additive loci with small to intermediate explained phenotypic variance suggested a polygenic architecture of crossover traits.
Loci associated with crossover traits were unique to control or nutrient-deficient conditions, suggesting that alleles regulating crossover traits are dependent on genotype-by-environment interactions, which strongly emphasizes the environmental plasticity of meiotic recombination. Finally, we revealed differences in recombination landscapes measured in gametophytes and sporophytes, which may be explained by a postmeiotic survivorship bias.
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.70656
Pantoja-Alonso MA, Camas-Reyes JA, Cano-Segura R, Cárdenas-Aquino MDR, Martínez-Antonio A. (2025): A comprehensive review
of genomic-scale genetic engineering as a strategy to improve bacterial productivity. Microbiology (Reading). 2025 Nov;171(11):001628. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.001628.
Bacterial genome engineering has evolved to provide increasingly precise, robust and rapid tools, driving the development and optimization of bacterial production of numerous compounds. The field has progressed from early random mutagenesis methods, labour-intensive and inefficient, to rational and multiplexed strategies enabled by advances in genomics and synthetic biology. Among these tools, CRISPR/Cas has stood out for its versatility and its ability to achieve precision levels ranging from 50% to 90%, compared to the 10-40% obtained with earlier techniques, thereby enabling remarkable improvements in bacterial productivity. Nevertheless, like its predecessors, it still demands continuous refinement to reach full maturity. In this context, the present review addresses the lack of a unified overview by summarizing historical milestones and practical applications of genomic engineering tools in bacteria. It integrates diverse approaches to provide a comprehensive perspective on the evolution and prospects of these fundamental biotechnological tools.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41182907/
EFSA
GMO Panel (2025): Assessment of genetically modified oilseed rape LBFLFK (application EFSA-GMO-DE-2019-157). EFSA Journal,
23(11), e9692 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9692
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9692
EFSA Scientific Committee (2025): Guidance on the characterisation of microorganisms in support of the risk assessment of products
used in the food chain. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9705 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9705
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9705
EFSA FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme cellulase from the non-genetically modified Aspergillus niger strain
HBI-AC01. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9724 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9724
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9724
EFSA FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme lysozyme from hens' eggs. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9726 |
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9726
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9726
EFSA FEZ Panel (2025):. Safety evaluation of the food enzyme endo-1,4-β-xylanase from the non-genetically modified Aspergillus
luchuensis strain DP-Azd103. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9730. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9730
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9730
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme glucan 1,4-α-glucosidase from the genetically modified Aspergillus niger
strain NZYM-DM. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9725 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9725
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9725
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme triacylglycerol lipase from the pregastric tissues of calves, kids and lambs.
EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9728 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9728
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9728
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme triacylglycerol lipase from the pregastric tissues of calves, kids and lambs.
EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9727 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9727
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9727