Sunday Evening News 450 - Week 45 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
November 2025-11-10 - 2025-11-16
Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 officially came into force
In England, the Genetic Technology (► Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 came into force on November 13, 2025, governing the commercial cultivation of genome-edited plants and the marketing of their products. In conjunction with the ► Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, applications for the marketing of seeds from genome-edited plants and products derived from genome-edited plants can now be submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Food Standards Agency.
Genome-edited plants do not contain any “foreign” DNA, and the genetic changes could also occur through natural mutation.
The law applies only to England.
This law is unique in Europe and offers English research institutions and breeding companies planning security in the use of new genomic techniques (NGTs). The European Union is still a long way from this. If the trilogue on the regulation of NGT techniques in plants is concluded this year, it will certainly take another 2-3 years before a corresponding regulation is implemented. European research institutions and breeders are falling behind; they are losing even more ground in the practical implementation of NGTs in breeding processes.
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Webinar: New scientific evidence: Why the EU has to reject the proposal on NGT1 plants
Wednesday, 19 Novmber | 15:00–16:30 CEST
Wetterextreme, Krankheitsdruck und Wirkstoffverlust: Wie sichern wir unsere regionale Erzeugung?
Politik trifft Praxis am 2. Dezember 2025 in Berlin
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Ovid-Verband: Neue Genomische Techniken für die Ernährungssicherung
Informationsdienst Gentechnik: Trilog zur neuen Gentechnik: Einigung bis Dezember?
https://www.keine-gentechnik.de/nachricht/trilog-zur-neuen-gentechnik-einigung-bis-dezember
Copa/Cogeca/Euroseeds: Joint letter: Support for a science-based and innovation-friendly framework for New Genomic
Techniques (NGTs) plants
https://copa-cogeca.eu/press-releases
MESHAKA D.: GMO/NGT Regulation: civil society organisations concerned about the outcome of the trilogue
Dongo D.: GMOs: Danish government against its people
https://www.foodtimes.eu/consumers-and-health/gmos-danish-government-deregulation/
Dunn A.: Gene editing clears final hurdle in Parliament
Harvey S.: What does the UK Precision Breeding Act mean for Agriculture?
https://www.mewburn.com/news-insights/what-does-the-uk-precision-breeding-act-mean-for-agriculture
Radhakrishnan S.: India’s gene-edited rice: Science needs sunlight, not spotlight
https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/indias-gene-edited-rice-science-needs-sunlight-not-spotlight
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: November week 46
Publications – Publikationen
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2025); Plant Health Newsletter on HORIZON SCANNING October 2025.
EFSA Supporting Publications, 22: 9751E. https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2025.EN-9751
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/sp.efsa.2025.EN-9751
OIV COLLECTIVE EXPERTISE DOCUMENT: New Genomic Techniques in Viticulture - Challenges, impacts and contribution
to the sector
Gallo D, Meunier A-C , Périn C (2025): A long journey towards genome editing technologies in plants: a technical and
critical review of genome editing technologies. Front. Genome Ed. 7:1663352. | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1663352
Advancements in genome editing technologies, notably CRISPR/Cas9, base editing (BE), and prime editing (PE), have revolutionized plant biotechnology, offering unprecedented precision in crop improvement to address the ongoing global warming challenge. This review provides a critical analysis of recent developments in SpCas9-based editing tools, emphasizing enhancements in editing efficiency and specificity and follow the chronological development of editing tools. We explore methodological innovations, including dual pegRNA strategies and site-specific integrases, that have expanded the potential of PE for precise gene insertions. By integrating insights into DNA repair mechanisms and leveraging SpCas9 enhancements, we outline future directions for the application of genome editing in plant breeding.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genome-editing/articles/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1663352/full
Jin Y.∙, Kristkova Z. S., Justus Wesseler J. (2025): Welfare impacts of China's regulatory change toward genome-edited
crops. Science & Society 43 (11), 2681-2683
What are the welfare impacts and implications of China’s newly issued safety evaluation guidelines toward genome-edited (GE) crops, and how do they compare with those in other countries? The answers are vital for enhancing food security and sustainability in China and stimulating R&D investment in GE crops.
https://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(25)00137-4
Ameye H., Hülsen V., Glatzel K., Laar A., Qaim M. (2025): Urbanizing food environments in Africa: Challenges and
opportunities for improving accessibility, affordability, convenience, and desirability of healthy diets. Food Policy 137, 102981 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102981
Food environments are changing in a rapidly urbanizing Africa. These changes have important dietary consequences in a region already contending with the triple burden of malnutrition. In this article, we first discuss the challenges associated with defining and measuring food environments in low- and middle-income countries and present recent progress in developing context-appropriate indicators and tools. Further, using mixed methods scoping reviews, we examine how urbanizing food environments affect diets and nutrition in Africa, differentiating between various food environment domains, namely food accessibility, affordability, convenience, and desirability. The findings suggest that urbanization improves stable access to more diverse and nutritious foods. At the same time, urbanizing food environments make ultra-processed foods and other convenient but unhealthy food choices more accessible, affordable, and desirable, contributing to overweight, obesity, and chronic disease risk. We discuss several policy options to improve the healthfulness of food environments, including industry and retail regulation, product labeling, taxes and subsidies, and school feeding programs, among others. National and local policy approaches need to be context-specific and considered within the wider political economy of food environments. We also mention further research needs in terms of measuring food environments and evaluating the effects of policy interventions.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919225001861?via%3Dihub
Demenou, B.B., Ndar, A., Pineau, C.P. et al.(2025): Chromosome-scale assembly of European flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)
genotypes and pangenomic analysis provide genomic tools to improve breeding. BMC Genomics 26, 1008 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-12248-8
Decoding the genome of cultivated species is one of the key starting points for supporting marker-assisted selection to accelerate breeding programmes. To date, five to six flax genotypes, including fiber flax, linseed and related wild flax, mainly from Canada, China and Russia, have been sequenced and assembled. But no genome assembly was available for Western European flax cultivar, although France is the world's leading producer of fiber flax (85% of world production). The Canadian oilseed flax cultivars CDC Bethune have been mainly used as reference for studies and breeding activities. The best assembly to date was the Chinese fiber Yiya5 assembly, which had the best metric of all the flax genome assemblies available. Recent analyses have shown that up to 30% of fiber flax reads from different origins do not map to the oilseed genome. Thus, much genetic information could be neglected using the oilseed genome as a reference. In this study, we sequenced, assembled and annotated the genomes of four European flax cultivars (two fiber Bolchoï and Idéo; two oilseed Marquise and Attila) and present the first flax pangenome. ONT Minion long reads sequence data were -assembled using Flye, -polished, validated and organised into hybrid scaffolds using optical map data (Bionano Genomics), and finally anchored into fifteen T2T pseudomolecules for each genotype using the fiber flax Yiya5 assembly. The final genome size reached 437, 441, 442 and 453 Mb for Idéo, Marquise, Attila and Bolchoï, respectively. Approximately 47,000 protein-coding genes were annotated for each genotype. For the first time, a pangenome graph were constructed for ten flax cultivars, including our four assemblies and six publicly available assemblies (CDC Bethune, Longya10 and Line 3896, Heiya-14, Yiya5 and Atlant). The total pangenome graph size was 835.77 Mbp with the core pangenome size of 172.2 Mbp. A total of 74,123 non-redundant orthologous proteins representing panproteome were identified. The pangenome results should be interpreted with caution given the quality of the publicly available genomes. This study with the resources generated, is a step forward for the development of genomic and genetic tools, useful for the improvement of Western European flax characterization and breeding.
https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-025-12248-8
Gaccione, L., Toppino, L., Bolger, M. et al. (2025): Graph-based pangenomes and pan-phenome provide a cornerstone for
eggplant biology and breeding. Nat Commun 16, 9919 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64866-1
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a major Solanaceous crop of Asian origin, but genomic resources remain limited compared to related species. Here, a core collection of 368 accessions spanning global diversity of S. melongena and wild relatives is phenotyped for agronomic, disease resistance and fruit metabolomic traits and resequenced. Additionally, 40 chromosome-level assemblies of S. melongena, its progenitor S. insanum and the allied species S. incanum enable the construction of two graph-based pangenomes, capturing broad genetic variation. We demonstrate the power of these datasets by identifying major loci controlling prickliness and resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae, driven by SVs affecting the LONELY GUY 3 gene and a resistance gene cluster, respectively, as well as a mutation in a GDSL-like esterase/lipase gene altering the levels of dicaffeoyl-quinic acids. These findings provide a cornerstone for pangenome-assisted breeding, enabling detailed analyses of genetic diversity, domestication history, and trait evolution in eggplant.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64866-1
Bourguet, P., Lorković, Z.J., Kripkiy Casado, D. et al. (2025): Major alleles of CDCA7 shape CG methylation in Arabidopsis
thaliana. Nat. Plants |https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02148-w
DNA methylation is a key epigenetic mark that impacts gene expression and represses transposable elements in eukaryotes. Numerous examples of cis elements targeted by DNA methylation, particularly at CG sites (mCG), have been reported to be under selective pressure in animals and plants. By contrast, there is limited knowledge of trans regulators of mCG leading to adaptation. Here, a genome-wide association study identifies CELL DIVISION CYCLE-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN 7 (CDCA7) as a major trans determinant of mCG in natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana. CDCA7 or its paralogue physically binds the chromatin remodeller DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION 1 (DDM1), which facilitates access of methyltransferases to DNA. Epigenomic analysis shows that while CDCA7 proteins control all DDM1-dependent processes, their predominant function is the maintenance of mCG. We identify a 26-bp promoter indel modulating CDCA7 expression in natural populations and determining the degree of mCG and transposable element silencing. The geographic distribution of CDCA7 alleles suggests that new alleles have repeatedly expanded to novel ecological niches, indicating a potential role in local adaptation. Our findings establish CDCA7 proteins as dedicated regulators of mCG and imply that DDM1 relies on alternative partners to regulate other chromatin features. Broadly, they illustrate how changes in global DNA methylation levels through transcriptional regulation of the epigenetic machinery have the capacity to facilitate local adaptation.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02148-w
Han, S.J.; Chae, J.; Kim, H.J.; Kim, J.H. et al. (2025): CRISPR-Mediated Genome Editing in Peanuts: Unlocking Trait
Improvement for a Sustainable Future. Plants 2025, 14, 3302. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14213302
Advancements in genome editing have transformed agricultural biotechnology by allowing for precise modifications of DNA. This technology has sparked increasing interest in enhancing important traits of major crops, including peanuts. As a nutritionally rich legume prized for its high oil content, peanut production still faces significant challenges, including disease outbreaks, nutrient deficiencies, and pest infestations. Addressing these challenges is essential for achieving high yields and sustainable cultivation. CRISPR technology, a cutting-edge genome editing tool, has emerged as a powerful platform for improving peanut traits. Its ability to facilitate gene knockouts, regulate gene expression, and introduce targeted genetic changes has accelerated research efforts in this field. The successful applications of CRISPR in peanut improvement, such as increasing oleic acid content and reducing allergenicity, reassure us about the effectiveness and potential of this technology. Despite the complexity of the peanut genome as a polyploid crop, these successes demonstrate the power of genome editing. This review emphasizes the crucial role of genome editing in enhancing peanut traits and outlines the promising future of CRISPR-based approaches in advancing peanut breeding and agricultural productivity.
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/21/3302
Asmamaw 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 | DOI: 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
Kumar U., Dwivedi D., Das U. (2025): Advancements in CRISPR-Mediated Multiplex Genome Editing: Transforming Plant
Breeding for Crop Improvement and Polygenic Trait Engineering. Biotechnolgy Journal |https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.70148
With accelerating climate change and the urgent need to stack polygenic traits, multiplex CRISPR/Cas offers a scalable route to resilient crops—yet low editing efficiency and regeneration bottlenecks remain critical constraints. This review centers on multiplex strategies for polygenic trait engineering in plants, surveying compact nucleases (Cas9, Cas12, Cas13 and emerging ultra-compact variants), polycistronic gRNA platforms (tRNA–gRNA arrays, self-cleaving ribozymes, Csy4 processing), and delivery routes (Agrobacterium, biolistics, protoplast transfection, viral vectors). We highlight concrete outcomes—for example, targeted edits in PYL ABA-receptors increased rice grain yield by up to 31% in field tests—and applications from yield and disease resistance to abiotic-stress tolerance, nutrient biofortification and de novo domestication. Technical risks (off-targets, mosaicism, chromosomal rearrangements, transformability) are appraised alongside emerging fixes: compact/engineered nucleases, RNA-processing arrays, morphogenic regulators, and AI-driven sgRNA design integrated with multi-omics. By prioritizing multiplex approaches for polygenic trait stacking, the review argues that these tools are essential to accelerate precision breeding for climate-adapted agriculture.
https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biot.70148
Kshetry A.O., Ghose K., Alok A. et al. (2025): A synthetic transcription cascade enables direct in planta shoot regeneration
for transgenesis and gene editing in multiple plants. Mol. Plant | doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2025.09.017
Developing transgenic and/or gene-edited plants largely depends on tedious, lengthy, and costly in vitro regeneration protocols. While plants have remarkable regeneration ability, not all species, genotypes, or even explants exhibit the same transformation and regeneration potential under in vitro conditions. To tackle this bottleneck, we have developed a seamless and user-friendly system to induce transgenic and gene-edited de novo meristems via a synthetic cascade comprising a wound-induced regeneration pathway, plant developmental regulators (DRs), and gene-editing reagents. WOUND INDUCED DEDIFFERENTIATION 1 (WIND1) was used as a transcriptional regulator to control the expression of various DR genes driven by ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 1 (ESR1) promoter. This cascade was strategically applied in planta to the non-meristematic internode of Nicotiana benthamiana to induce meristematic activity and regenerate de novo shoots with knockout mutations of the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene. Among the DR genes tested, the strategic expression of isopentenyl transferase (ipt) driven by the ESR1 promoter under the control of WIND1 proved most effective for efficient regeneration in tobacco. Subsequently, this synthetic toolkit was successfully applied to both tomato and soybean. WIND1 served as a key cellular reprogramming factor, initiating differentiation, while ipt complemented this process by promoting organogenesis through cytokinin biosynthesis. This methodology offers a transformative approach to overcome barriers in plant biotechnology, potentially accelerating the generation of transgenic and gene-edited plants without reliance, or with minimal reliance, on conventional tissue-culture intermediates.
https://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/fulltext/S1674-2052(25)00322-3
Fu, J., James, B., Hetti-Arachchilage, M. et al. (2025): Stage-resolved gene regulatory network analysis reveals
developmental reprogramming and genes with robust stem-preferred expression in sorghum. BMC Plant Biol 25, 1275 | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07303-1
Background: Sorghum bicolor is a deep-rooted, heat- and drought-tolerant crop that thrives on marginal lands and is increasingly valued for its applications in biofuel, bioenergy, and biopolymer production. The sorghum stem, which can reach 4–5 m in length, serves as the primary reservoir of both lignocellulosic biomass and soluble sugars, making it a promising bioenergy feedstock. Although recent advances in genetic, genomic, and transcriptomic resources have improved our understanding of sorghum biology, comprehensive genome-wide analyses of functional dynamics across diverse organ types and developmental stages remain limited. In particular, candidate genes with stem preferred expression pattern or their associated cis-regulatory elements, which may program key stem-related functions and enable organ- or tissue-specific engineering, have not yet been identified.
Results: To address these gaps, we reanalyzed a published RNA-seq dataset to identify genes with organ-preferential expression and to infer representative organ functions across major developmental stages. Our analysis revealed that the sorghum stem exhibits distinct temporal functional signatures, which correlate with the developmental dynamics of stem-specific genes and their associated regulatory elements. We further identified a set of genes with ubiquitous stem-specific expression across diverse sorghum genotypes, suggesting their universal importance and broad potential for genetic engineering applications. Among them, SbTALE03 and SbTALE04 emerged as stem hub transcription factors (TF). Both genes were empirically validated for their stem specificity across stages. Gene regulatory network analysis further indicated that these TFs participate in stage-specific transcriptional programs that maintain and regulate stem development.
Conclusions:This study presents a genome-wide analysis of organ-specific gene expression, functions, and regulatory networks in sorghum, with a focus on genes preferentially-expressed in stems and their promoter motifs. We identified a set of core stem-specific genes with ubiquitous expression across genotypes and developmental stages, including two experimentally validated transcription factors with potential roles in stem development. These findings offer valuable candidates for further functional characterization and genetic engineering aimed at improving sorghum stem biomass and composition.
https://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12870-025-07303-1
Zhang, M., Cheng, M., Deng, X. et al. (2025): Identification of ATG18s in Triticeae reveals wheat TaATG18-5′s crucial role
in Fusarium crown rot resistance. Plant Cell Rep 44, 250 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-025-03640-5
As core components in the autophagic pathway, ATG18 family members play critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. Although ATG18s have been well characterized in multiple species, their functions in wheat, particularly in resistance to fungal diseases, remain unclear. In this study, we systematically identified 76 ATG18 family members from wheat and its diploid/tetraploid relatives. Evolutionary and syntenic analyses revealed that ATG18s expansion in Triticeae species was primarily driven by genome polyploidization, accompanied by tandem gene duplications in specific chromosomal regions (e.g., chromosome 2). TaATG18 genes within the same phylogenetic group exhibited similar gene structures and conserved motif distributions. Promoter analysis showed that TaATG18s widely harbored cis-acting elements associated with growth and development, stress responses, hormone signaling, and transcription factor binding (notably MYB-type). Expression profiling indicated that TaATG18s displayed basal expression in various tissues across wheat developmental stages, but were significantly induced by fungal pathogens. Functional studies showed that silencing of TaATG18-5 compromised wheat resistance to Fusarium crown rot (FCR), thereby confirming its positive regulatory role in FCR resistance. Furthermore, an MYB-like transcription factor TaMYBL1, identified via yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) screening, directly bound to the cis-element in the TaATG18-5 promoter. Expression analysis revealed that TaMYBL1 was also induced by Fusarium pseudograminearum, suggesting a potential regulatory module of TaMYBL1-mediated TaATG18-5 in wheat FCR resistance. These findings deepen our understanding of the TaATG18 gene family and provide TaATG18-5 as a potential candidate gene for improving FCR resistance in wheat.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00299-025-03640-5
He, L.;Wang, L.; Zhou, Y.; Wu,W.; Cong, S. et al: (2025): Effect of Bt-Cry1Ab Maize Commercialization on Arthropod
Community Biodiversity in Southwest China. Insects, 16, 1132 | https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16111132
In southwest China, but its ecological impact on arthropod biodiversity remains insufficiently characterized. This two-year field investigation (2023–2024) conducted in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province utilized systematic field monitoring to compare arthropod community dynamics between conventional maize and Bt-Cry1Ab maize (DBN9936) cultivation systems. This study documented 575,970 arthropod specimens representing 80 species/types across 45 families and 17 orders. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) between non-Bt and Bt maize in the abundance and species richness of target herbivorous pests, non-target herbivorous pests, and natural enemy insects. Field investigations revealed a notable absence of Macrocentrus cingulum, a key larval parasitoid of Ostrinia furnacalis, in Bt-maize plots compared to conventional counterparts. The populations of non-target herbivorous pests and natural enemies such as Aphididae, Chrysoperla sinica, Frankliniella tenuicornis, and Orius sauteri were higher in Bt maize fields than in non-Bt maize fields, while the populations of target herbivorous pests including O. furnacalis and Mythimna loreyi were lower than those in non-Bt maize fields. However, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in arthropod abundance, species richness, or in a suite of ecological indices including the Simpson diversity index, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Pielou evenness index, McIntosh diversity index, and community stability indices (Nn/Np, Nd/Np, and Sd/Sp). Redundancy analysis identified maize growth stages (6.75% variance explained) and interannual variations (2.44%) as principal drivers of arthropod community dynamics, with maize genotype contributing minimally (1.53%). These findings demonstrate that Bt-Cry1Ab maize (DBN9936) cultivation maintains functional arthropod community structure while effectively controlling target pests, providing substantial empirical evidence to support its sustainable deployment in southern China’s agricultural landscapes.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/11/1132
Seralini, GE., Jungers, G., Andersen, A. et al. (2025): Scientists’ warning: we must change paradigm for a revolution in
toxicology and world food supply. Environ Sci Eur 37, 182 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-025-01217-3
We propose a new paradigm, as toxicology currently lacks the proper perspective. From the 1950s to the 1970s, at least one-third of all toxicological testing in the United States, including for chemicals and drugs, was misleading scientists, and this worldwide issue persists today. Moreover, petroleum-based waste and heavy metals have been discovered in pesticide and plasticizer formulations. These contaminations have now reached all forms of life. Widespread exposure to chemical mixtures promotes health and environmental risks. We discovered that pesticides have never undergone long-term testing on mammals in their full commercial formulations by regulatory authorities or the pesticide industry; instead, only their declared active ingredients have been assessed, contrary to environmental law recommendations. The ingredients of these formulations are not fully disclosed, yet the formulations are in general at least 1000 times more toxic at low environmentally relevant doses than the active ingredients alone under conditions of long-term exposure. A similar lack of comprehensive toxicological evaluation applies to plasticizers. Their regulatory authorisations might have been obtained by incomplete, misleading and potentially false input data. This has profound implications not only for scientific knowledge, but also for public and environmental health. We propose pragmatically a paradigm shift in regulation: 1/to lower the ADI of polluting substances by at least a factor of 100 for already authorized products; 2/for new compounds, the obligation to test the full pesticide formulations in vivo chronically at environmentally relevant levels. This is necessary because pesticides are synthesized from petroleum, which can contain heavy metals. Moreover, formulated pesticides can contain plasticizers. The declared active substance, as an isolated compound of this mixture chosen by the company, will not have to be tested by itself alone. Compensation could be organized for pesticide use reduction, this will save health and environmental degradation; 3/the complete toxicological raw data for individual animals should be published on the Internet, including the precise protocols by which they were obtained, and they must be accessible for the scientific community, including students. There is no reason to keep these data secret. Implementing these changes would also support the advancement of agroecological alternatives.
https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-025-01217-3
Koller F. (2025): The Potential of NGTs to Overcome Constraints in Plant Breeding and the Regulatory Implications
Conventional plant breeding relies on the occurrence of chromosomal crossover as well as spontaneous or non-targeted mutations in the genome induced by physical or chemical stressors. However, constraints exist concerning the number and variation of genotypes that can be achieved in this way as the occurrence and combination of mutations are not equally distributed across the genome. The underlying mechanisms and causes of reproductive constraints can be considered the result of evolution to maintain the genomic stability of a species, while at the same time allowing necessary adaptions. A continuous horizon scan was carried out to identify plants derived from new genomic techniques (NGTs) which show that CRISPR/Cas is able to circumvent at least some of these mechanisms and constraints. The reason for this is the specific mode of action: While physico-chemical mutagens such as radiation or chemicals merely cause a break of DNA, recombinant enzymatic mutagens (REMs) such as CRISPR/Cas additionally interfere with the cellular repair mechanisms. More recently developed REMs even expand the capabilities of NGTs to introduce new genetic variations within the target sequences. Thus, NGTs allow to introduce genetic changes and combinations that are unknown in the current breeding pool, and that are also unlikely to occur from any previously used breeding methods. The resulting genotypes may need to be considered as ‘new to the environment’. The reasons for the above can be identified in the mode of action of the REMs. CRISPR/Cas catalysed reactions in particular can interfere with and overcome 1) cytogenic features such as repair mechanisms; 2) factors influencing recombination and stability of the genome such as crossovers; 3) gene copies with and without proximity and 4) certain regulatory elements. The technical potential of NGTs should also be taken into account in regulatory provisions. Previously unknown genotypes and phenotypes may negatively impact plant health, ecosystems, biodiversity and plant breeding. It must further be acknowledged that the different outcomes of NGTs and conventional breeding are not always evident at first sight. As a starting point, within a process-oriented approval process, molecular characterisation can inform the following steps in risk assessment and guide requests for further data.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202511.0397
EFSA
FEZ Panel (2025): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme α-amylase from the genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain CCTCC
M 2023118. EFSA Journal 23(11), e9721 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9721
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9721
FEZ Panel (2025): Updated safety evaluation of the food enzyme AMP deaminase from the non-genetically modified Streptomyces
murinus strain AE-DNTS. EFSA Journal 23(11), e9722 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9722
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9722
FEZ Panel (2025).:Safety evaluation of the food enzyme α-amylase from the non-genetically modified Bacillus licheniformis strain
TTME 6280 KY. EFSA Journal, 23(11), e9720. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9720
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9720
see also: https://www.biotech-enzymes.com/unit-list/lebensmittelenzyme-sicherheitsbewertungen-efsa-2025