Sunday Evening News 446 - Week 42 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
October 2025-10-13 - 2025-10-19
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Online: BEST-CROP Talks: Plant Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future
Wednesday, 5 November, 2025, 15:30 - 16:45
SEC-Symposium 2025: Pflanzenschutz – Ja, aber wie?
13. November 2025, Frankfurt/Main -DECHEMA-Haus
Anmeldung zum Symposium: https://www.gdch.de/pflanzenschutz2025
Flyer: https://www.wggev.de/wp-content/uploads/Flyer01_SEC-2025.pdf
Weitere Informationen zum Symposium: https://www.wggev.de/sec-symposium-2025-pflanzenschutz/
online SEC-Vortragsreihe: Klaus Roth: „Wie gewinnen Sie endlich mal den Nobelpreis?“
11. November 2025; 15 Uhr
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86190573632?pwd=fK8Vlzj2zWbdAhBTbGr0JeFVZzIfXQ.1
EFSA: Workshop on protein safety assessments in food and feed – Alternative methods and approaches
12 November 2025, 14:00 - 17:00 (CET); 13 November 2025, 14:00 - 17:00 (CET)
Registration Deadline: 7 November 2025 - 12:00 (CET)
Save the date:
International Conference on CRISPR Technologies and Genome Editing: ICCTGE |26
Hamburg, Germany, 3th - 14th February 2026
https://scholarsforum.net/event/index.php?id=3413115
BVL: Modern Molecular Methods in Biotechnology - Perspectives for Research and Applications
BVL expert forum — 24-25 February 2026 (lunch to lunch),Hotel Estrel Congress Center, Sonnenallee 225, 12057 Berlin
https://www.bvl.bund.de/EN/Service/03_Events/Perspectives-Biotechnology-2026/_node.html
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Neue Kampagne für das „Ohne GenTechnik“-Siegel gestartet
Lahrtz S.: Vernunft statt Ideologie: Die Weltnaturschutzunion IUCN lehnt ein pauschales Verbot gentechnisch
veränderter Organismen ab – ein Sieg der Wissenschaft
Vietnamesische Landwirtschaft an der Schwelle zur Gen-Editierungstechnologie
https://www.vietnam.vn/de/nong-nghiep-viet-nam-truoc-nguong-cua-cong-nghe-chinh-sua-gen
Koch J.: Neue Züchtungstechniken: Einigung rückt in weite Ferne
https://www.wochenblatt-dlv.de/politik/neue-zuechtungstechniken-einigung-rueckt-weite-ferne-582520
Arboleas M.S. / ManzanaroS.S.: Gene-editing talks inch forward as MEPs soften on patent ban
https://www.euractiv.com/news/gene-editing-talks-inch-forward-as-meps-soften-on-patent-ban/
City University of Hong Kong : Cracking the CRISPR code to find the 'passwords' that unlock its full potential
https://phys.org/news/2025-10-crispr-code-passwords-full-potential.html
Giddings L.V.: Nature Conservation, Dire Wolves, Moratoria, and Technophobia
https://itif.org/publications/2025/10/14/technophobia-threatens-the-future-of-conservation/
Vietnamese agriculture on the threshold of gene editing technology
https://www.vietnam.vn/en/nong-nghiep-viet-nam-truoc-nguong-cua-cong-nghe-chinh-sua-gen
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: October week 42
Publications – Publikationen
Mangnus, E., Candel, J. (2025): Food securitization and the unmaking of European food policy reform.
Nat Food | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01244-6
Food is increasingly framed as a security issue — not just as an allusion to external shocks that may put it at risk, but also as a reflection of a political agenda that prioritizes increased agricultural output rather than the systemic changes needed to create more just and sustainable food futures. European food policy must align with scientific evidence, sustainability commitments and democratic principles to create true food security.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-025-01244-6#article-info
OECD (2025): Developments in Delegations on the Safety Assessment of Novel Foods and Feeds, March 2024 – March 2025,
Series on the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds, No. 40, OECD Environment, Health and Safety, Paris,
https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2025)14/en/pdf
OECD (2025): Collation of the Answers for Questionnaire Enhanced Information Exchange on New Breeding Techniques:
2025 Results, Series on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology No. 78 and Series on the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds No. 41, OECD Environment, Health and Safety, Paris,
https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2025)15/en/pdf
OECD (2025): Developments in Delegations on Biosafety Issues, March 2024 – March 2025, Series on the Harmonisation of
Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology, No. 77, OECD Environment, Health and Safety, Paris,
https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/CBC/MONO(2025)13/en/pdf
Sánchez-Brunete E, Ferrari A, Moreno FJ, Goumperis T. et al (2025): Refining the safety assessment of newly expressed
proteins in GMOs. Front. Toxicol. 7:1679506 | https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2025.1679506
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carries out safety assessments of newly expressed proteins (NEPs) in genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here, toxicity and allergenicity assessments are the cornerstone of NEP evaluation, ensuring that any potential health hazards are rigorously identified and characterised. Recent examples of EFSA’s NEP safety assessments illustrate how novel methodologies, alongside established ones reconsidered from new perspectives, guide case-by-case decisions. These advances provide an opportunity to improve the robustness, proportionality, and scientific credibility of risk assessments. Moreover, it may alleviate the need for in vivo animal testing. Building on this development, EFSA aims to integrate new approach methodologies (NAMs) into risk assessment to provide a scientific basis for waiving in vivo testing, aligning its approach with the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) and the European Commission’s roadmap for phasing out animal testing. Overall, this shift reflects a broader transformation in EFSA’s safety assessment of NEPs, characterised by openness to innovation, optimisation of existing methods, and ensuring preparedness for future risk assessment needs. The ultimate goal is to ensure the highest level of protection for human and animal health, while embracing scientific progress.
Huguet-Tapia, J.C., Loo, E.P.I., Buchholzer, M. et al. (2025): Ensuring effective removal of transgenes before release of
genome-edited crops. Nat Biotechnol 43, 1603–1605 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-025-02805-7
Genome editing technology is evolving fast, and many labs worldwide are generating crop plants with improved traits. If transgenes were used to generate the edits, foreign DNA must be effectively removed by outcrossing. After an evaluation of various technologies, we show that long-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is at present the only reliable approach to confirm the absence of foreign DNA. We suggest using long-read WGS before requesting exemption from classification as genetically modified organisms and provide a guide for interpreting WGS data.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02805-7
Menelih, A., Girma, A., & Aemiro, A. (2025): Advancing nutritional quality in oilseed crops through genome editing:
a comprehensive review. GM Crops & Food, 16(1), 709–732. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2025.2572864
Genome editing has emerged as a powerful approach to enhancing the nutritional quality of oilseed crops. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats case9 (CRISPR/Cas9) is the predominant editing tool, while transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and base editors are used less commonly. Key fatty acid desaturase genes such as FAD2 and FAD3 are prime targets because of their critical functions in fatty acid desaturation. This review summarizes recent progress in editing genes associated with oil composition and related traits across oilseed species. Visual data representations including, Sankey diagrams, heat maps, and crop-trait matrices illustrate shared editing priorities and emerging trait targets across crops. Despite its promise, genome editing still faces challenges in transformation efficiency, field-level validation, and regulatory acceptance. This review underscores the increasing impact of target gene editing on nutritional trait improvement and its potential to accelerate the development of healthier, more sustainable oilseed varieties.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645698.2025.2572864
Sun, SK., Ahmad, N., Callenius, H. et al. (2025): The plastid cysteine synthase complex regulates ABA biosynthesis and
stomatal closure in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 16, 8960 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64705-3
Global warming intensifies drought and high light stress periods, causing severe water loss and decreased crop yield. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is the dominant signal governing stomatal closure and water loss. Here, we uncover three signaling axes triggered by soil dehydration and high light stress converging on the dynamic assembly of the cysteine-synthase-complex in chloroplasts (pCSC). We show that pCSC assembly triggers ABA biosynthesis and stomatal closure in response to the soil-drying signals, sulfate (axis 1) and CLE25 (axis 2), and the high light-induced oxylipin OPDA (axis 3). Loss of the pCSC increases sensitivity to soil-drying and impairs high light-induced stomatal closure. Our findings uncover that the dynamic assembly of the pCSC acts as a sensor hub, integrating local and long-distance stress signals to promote stomatal closure by supplying cysteine for ABA biosynthesis in guard cells. We applied this knowledge to generate a soil-drying resilient plant showing no growth penalty.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64705-3
Todd, E.T., Arigoni, F., Holzwarth, J. et al. (2025): Developing a core collection for the conservation of Theobroma cacao’s
genetic diversity. BMC Genomics 26, 896 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11882-6
Background: Crop core collections serve as a means of conserving genetic variation and providing a diverse array of accessions for future research and breeding endeavours. Despite the challenges posed by diseases and climate change to global cacao production, no centralized core collection currently exists. To address this gap, we have assembled a new, general-purpose cacao core collection from accessions present in international collections.
Results: A dataset of 310 cacao accessions from international collections were selected based on material availability, geographic origin, and known phenotypic characteristics. Population structure analysis of 26,601 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from these accessions revealed ten distinct genetic groups, consistent with previous studies. A core collection of 96 accessions was subsequently selected, encompassing 99.6% of the genetic diversity within the dataset. This collection comprises representatives of all ten genetic groups, as well as accessions exhibiting high productivity and pathogen resistance.
Conclusions: This core collection will serve as a crucial genetic resource for the cacao community. Cultivating and maintaining the plants from this core collection will contribute to the preservation of genetic diversity within the population. Furthermore, this collection, when combined with appropriate phenotyping, will establish a foundation for novel breeding programs aimed at enhancing crop improvement in the future.
https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-025-11882-6
Guiltinan, M. J., L. Landherr, S. N. Maximova, D. DelVecchio, A. Sebastian, and I. Albert. (2025): Reduced Susceptibility to
Phytophthora in Non-Transgenic Cacao Progeny Through CRISPR–Cas9 Mediated TcNPR3 Mutagenesis. Plant Biotechnology Journal | https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70365.
Black pod disease, caused by a complex of Phytophthora species, poses a severe threat to global cacao production. This study explores the use of CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing to reduce disease susceptibility in Theobroma cacao L. by targeting the TcNPR3 gene, a known negative regulator of plant defence. Transgenic T0 lines carrying mutations predicted to disrupt TcNPR3 function exhibited reduced susceptibility to Phytophthora infection in in vitro foliar assays. These T0 plants were advanced to maturity and outcrossed with non-transgenic cacao to eliminate T-DNA sequences associated with the CRISPR–Cas9 transgene. Whole-genome sequencing of the T0 parents and 22 progeny revealed single T-DNA insertion sites in each T0 line; seven progeny retained the edited npr3 alleles but lacked T-DNA insertions. Transcriptome analysis of the mutant lines showed upregulation of genes associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, defence-related transcription factors and pathogenesis-related proteins. Several genes were also downregulated, suggesting that TcNPR3 may function as both a repressor and an activator in regulating basal transcriptional states. Genome-edited plants were phenotypically comparable to wild-type controls and displayed a 42% reduction in lesion size upon Phytophthora challenge. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of generating non-transgenic cacao with reduced susceptibility to Phytophthora through CRISPR–Cas9-mediated genome editing, offering a promising strategy for sustainable cacao cultivation and improved farmer livelihoods. Field trials are underway to evaluate long-term agronomic performance under natural conditions.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pbi.70365
Murtaza, M., Aqeel, M., Waheeb, S.A. et al. (2025): Transcriptome-based meta-analysis of drought stress regulatory genes
in tomato. BMC Plant Biol 25, 1347 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07348-2
Plants possess various molecular defense systems to ward off biotic and abiotic stresses and adjust to environmental changes. The RNA-seq technology assists biologists in quickly identifying genes responding to abiotic stresses. Thereby, using meta-transcriptomic data from the GEO NCBI public database, we have attempted to reach a consensus on gene variations. This approach identified a global set of 18 drought-responsive genes by Bonferroni-adjusted proportional test on one sample, p < 0.05, and extensive meta-transcriptome analytics. The annotation of these differentially expressed genes identified the biological process, molecular function, cellular component, KEGG, and plant ontology terms. The terms that were found to be top-enriched (with P and Q adjusted to be < 0.05) were intracellular signal transduction (Solyc04g076810 and Solyc10g076710), ribonuclease P activity (Solyc05g054420), nucleolar ribonuclease P complex (Solyc05g054420), Glycosphingolipid biosynthesis and lateral root apical meristem (Solyc03g005227), respectively. These meta-DEGs description include CBL-interacting protein kinase 8 (biological process), phospholipase C2 (biological process), XH/XS domain-containing protein (molecular function & cellular component), alpha 1,4-glycosyltransferase family protein (KEGG) and Histone superfamily protein (plant ontology). qRT-PCR-based gene expression analyses elaborated the similar trends in gene expression in both local genotypes under drought stress conditions covering the ratio of six to four as per down and upregulated meta-genes, respectively. This could indicate that these genes are part of a putative set of stress-responsive genes that are crucial for survival and adaptation under drought conditions thereby, they may serve as potential targets for future functional studies and breeding applications that will be helpful to enhance tomato production in the future.
https://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12870-025-07348-2
Schoen A., Guilherme V. Yoshikawa G.V., Sharma P.K., +32 , and Tiwari V. (2025): WUSCHEL-D1 upregulation enhances grain
number by inducing formation of multiovary-producing florets in wheat. PNAS 122 (42) e2510889122 | https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2510889122
Innovative genetic improvements in food crops are needed to maintain global food security. Here, we report the map-based cloning of TaWUSCHEL-D1 (WUS-D1) as the gene responsible for the multiovary phenotype in wheat, which produces three fertile ovaries and grains per floret. We generated a 14.5 Gbp chromosome-level assembly of multiovary wheat line “MOV” that shows unique structural variation in the Mov-1 physical region, resulting in widespread gene upregulation. High-resolution genetic mapping refined the locus to a 135 kbp region that contains two genes. We used nine independent deletion mutants, eight TILLING mutants, and genetic complementation of these genotypes to show that a WUSCHEL ortholog, WUS-D1, is the causal gene of the Mov-1 locus. Expression studies showed that WUS-D1 is highly expressed during early inflorescence development in MOV, whereas the gene is inactive in wild-type wheat. The higher WUS-D1 expression is associated with the formation of larger meristems and floret primordia that are competent to produce multiple ovaries. These insights provide a foundation to manipulate floral organ numbers to enhance breeding capabilities of bread wheat.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510889122
Valenzuela Ruiz, V.; Cervantes Enriquez, E.P.; VázquezRamírez, M.F. et al: (2025): l A New Era in the Discovery of Biological
Control Bacteria: Omics-Driven Bioprospecting. Bioprospecting. Soil Syst. 9, 108 | https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9040108
Biological control with beneficial bacteria offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic agrochemicals for managing plant pathogens and enhancing plant health. However, bacterial biocontrol agents (BCAs) remain underexploited due to regulatory hurdles (such as complex registration timelines and extensive dossier requirements) and limited strain characterization. Recent advances in omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) have strengthened the bioprospecting pipeline by uncovering key microbial traits involved in biocontrol. Genomics enables the identification of biosynthetic gene clusters, antimicrobial pathways, and accurate taxonomy, while comparative genomics reveals genes relevant to plant–microbe interactions. Metagenomics uncovers unculturable microbes and their functional roles, especially in the rhizosphere and extreme environments. Transcriptomics (e.g., RNA-Seq) sheds light on gene regulation during plant-pathogen-bacteria interactions, revealing stress-related and biocontrol pathways. Metabolomics, using tools like Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR), identifies bioactive compounds such as lipopeptides, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and polyketides. Co-culture experiments and synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) have shown enhanced biocontrol through metabolic synergy. This review highlights how integrating omics tools accelerates the discovery and functional validation of new BCAs. Such strategies support the development of effective microbial products, promoting sustainable agriculture by improving crop resilience, reducing chemical inputs, and enhancing soil health. Looking ahead, the successful application of omics-driven bioprospection of BCAs will require addressing challenges of large-scale production, regulatory harmonization, and their integration into real-world agricultural systems to ensure reliable, sustainable solutions.
https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/9/4/108
Pandey, N., Ahmad, D., Hasan, M. et al. (2025): Current trends in the production of xylitol and paving the way for metabolic
engineering in microbes. Biotechnol. Biofuels Bioprod. 18, 106 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-025-02702-w
Xylitol, a five-carbon sugar alcohol, is recognized as a desirable sugar alternative due to its low-calorie content and metabolism independent of insulin. Its commercial production generally involves the chemical hydrogenation of D-xylose, an approach that is energy-demanding and environmentally unfriendly. Although fermentation offers a biological alternative, it often suffers from low conversion efficiency and limited yields. However, xylitol is an intermediate metabolite in various microbial species, and its biosynthesis can be enhanced through metabolic engineering. Genetically modifying microbial cell factories—such as bacteria, fungi, and yeast—has shown significant improvements in xylitol production. Furthermore, the precursor xylose, which is utilized by microbes, can be derived from lignocellulosic biomass through hydrolysis, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective production route. This review discusses recent advances in the bioproduction of xylitol and highlights various metabolic engineering strategies employed to enhance xylitol yield in microbial cell factories.
https://biotechnologyforbiofuels.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13068-025-02702-w
Zhang, H., Yang, F., Hou, M. et al. (2025): Enhancement of polyethylene biodegradation by high-performance bacterial
isolates. J Soils Sediments | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-025-04135-2
Purpose: Polyethylene plastic is a widely used plastic material, but its slow degradation process can affect the stability of ecosystems. There are a very limited number of bacterial species known to be capable of degrading polyethylene, and the degradation capacity of these bacteria is usually low.
Methods: In this study, we isolated three strains of microorganisms PDB-1, PDB-2, and PDB-3 with polyethylene degradation functions from a landfill. Its classification was confirmed by 16 S rRNA gene sequencing and traditional microbiological methods, and its degradation process was analyzed using techniques such as mass loss, scanning electron microscopy, and gel permeation chromatography.
Results: The weight loss analysis showed that the weight loss of polyethylene film was 11.5% (PDB-1), 10.87% (PDB-2), and 6.3% (PDB-3), which is ahead of the existing related studies. Scanning electron microscopy observed significant breakage on the microbially degraded polyethylene membranes, while water contact angle tests showed an increase in hydrophilicity for all treated membranes. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis showed that the vibration of O-H and C = C peaks in PDB-1-treated polyethylene membranes was significantly enhanced.
Conclusion:Combining the above results, it is clear that PDB-1, PDB-2, and PDB-3 are all capable of effectively degrading PE polymers, with PDB-1 having the strongest degradation ability. This provides a theoretical basis for the development of more efficient plastic-degrading microorganisms in the future. The research results are expected to be applied to practical plastic waste treatment and environmental remediation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11368-025-04135-2
EFSA
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme chymosin from the genetically modified Trichoderma reesei strain DP-Nyj88.
EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9665 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9665
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9665
FEZ Panel (2025): Updated safety evaluation of the food enzyme phospholipase A2 from the genetically modified Trichoderma reesei
strain RF8793. EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9664 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9664
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9664
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme cellulase from the non-genetically modified Aspergillus niger strain
AC 4-984. EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9672 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9672
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9672
FEZ Panel 2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme glucan 1,4-α-maltohydrolase from the genetically modified Trichoderma
reesei strain DP-Nyn90. EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9671 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9671
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9671
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme mannan endo-1,4-β-mannosidase from the non-genetically modified
Aspergillus niger strain ACH 12-525. EFSA Journal, 23(10), e9673 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9673
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9673