Sunday Evening News 457 / 2026
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
January 2026-01-05 - 2026-01-11
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Internationale Grüne Woche 2026
16. bis 25. Januar 2026 in Berlin auf dem Messegelände am Funkturm (Berlin ExpoCenter City)
18th Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) “Water. Harvests. Our Future”
14 - 17 January 2026, Berlin
https://msc.gffa-berlin.de/app/uploads/sites/5/2025/08/GFFA2026_Save-the-date-Flyer_ENG.pdf
https://www.gffa-berlin.de/en/agenda/#day-1
Stimmt´s oder stimmt´s nicht? - Von Vorurteilen, Halbwahrheiten und Irrtümern über die Landwirtschaft
Sonntag, 15. Februar 2026, 14:00 Uhr bis 15:30 Uhr; Ort Futurium, Berlin
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Eine neue Ära im Pflanzenschutz: Wie das erste RNAi-Spray auf dem Markt gegen Kartoffelkäfer wirkt
Eine gemeinsame Studie von GreenLight Biosciences, dem Fraunhofer IME und der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen unter Leitung von Prof. Dr. Andreas Vilcinskas zeigt erstmals, dass das RNAi-Spray Calantha durch die gezielte Ausschaltung des Proteasom-Gens PSMB5 eine tödliche Proteasom-Fehlfunktion im Kartoffelkäfer auslöst.
https://www.fcmh.de/de/aktuelles/aktuelles/20260109pflanzenschutz
Aktuelle Biotechnologie POINT NEWSLETTER NR. 282 – DEZEMBER 2025
https://www.scienceindustries.ch/_file/39038/point-2025-12-282-d.pdf
Lohmann B.: Kommt die Grüne Gentechnik nach Deutschland?
Schaack J: Atomgärten: die Vorläufer der modernen Gentechnik
https://www.fr.de/wissen/atomgaerten-die-vorlaeufer-der-modernen-gentechnik-zr-94116891.html
dpa: Ministerin hält Gentechnik-Entscheidung der EU für Fehler
https://www.mz.de/panorama/ministerin-halt-gentechnik-entscheidung-der-eu-fur-fehler-4175981
Dionglay C.: Europe pursues three different regulatory paths in efforts to open the gates to agricultural gene editing
Beyond gene scissors: New CRISPR mechanism discovered
Galacho C.B., Aarhus University: Europe takes a bold step toward systems-based chemical risk assessment
https://phys.org/news/2026-01-europe-bold-based-chemical.html
The War Over a Weedkiller Might Be Headed to the Supreme Court
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/climate/supreme-court-weedkiller-roundup.html
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are►here: January week 02/2026
Publications – Publikationen
Bernacka K.U., Michalski K., WojciechowskiM. , Sowa S. (2026): Application of SNV Detection Methods for Market Control of
Food Products from New Genomic Techniques. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 27, 626 | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27020626
The detection of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) is an important challenge in modern genomics, with broad applications in medicine, diagnostics, and agricultural biotechnology. Current detection approaches include PCR-based techniques with high-affinity probes, ligase-based strategies, and sequencing approaches, each with varying degrees of sensitivity, specificity, and practicality. Despite advances in SNV analysis in the medical field, their implementation in the official control and monitoring of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) remains limited. This challenge has gained priority with the advent of new genomic techniques (NGTs), such as CRISPR-Cas nucleases, which allow precise genome editing, including subtle changes at the nucleotide level without introducing foreign DNA. Therefore, traditional methods of GMO detection targeting transgene sequences may not be sufficient to monitor such GMOs. In the European Union, GMO legislation requires distinguishing between conventionally bred and genetically modified plants. The planned introduction of new regulatory categories of NGT plants (NGT1 and NGT2) with different surveillance requirements emphasizes the need for robust, sensitive, and cost-effective SNV detection methods suitable for distinguishing between GMOs, particularly in the context of food and feed safety, traceability, and compliance.
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/2/626
Elmira E.S. and Qaim M Macroeconomic shocks and long-term nutritional outcomes: Insights from the Asian financial
crisis. . Global Food Security Dez.2025, 100900 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2025.100900
Climate change, conflicts, pandemics, and other disruptive events can lead to shocks in people's incomes, prices, and access to food, with profound implications for nutrition and health. The short- and long-term effects of different types of shocks are not yet sufficiently understood. Here, we use data from Indonesia to analyze effects of the Asian financial crisis, which happened in the late-1990s, on nutritional outcomes. The crisis contributed to large temporary increases in rice prices with regional variation, which we exploit to estimate effects on child height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and other anthropometric indicators. Panel data regression models with individual fixed effects suggest that the rice price inflation led to an average decrease in HAZ of 0.135 and an increase in child stunting by 3.5 percentage points, after controlling for confounding factors. These effects were more pronounced in urban than rural areas. Children with mothers that only have little education suffered over-proportionally. Beyond the immediate impacts, we examine long-term effects and find that individuals severely hit by the crisis during childhood remain shorter also during adulthood and are more likely to be obese. Our findings highlight the need for nutrition-sensitive interventions in national and global crisis response policies.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211912425000756?via%3Dihub
Menary, J., Capell, T., Rahaman, E.H.M.S. et al. (2026): What farmers think about using crop biotechnology to boost
photosynthesis in rice and potato. Sci Rep 16, 895 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30369-8
Boosting crop photosynthesis holds promise for meeting the needs of a growing population in a warming climate. However, improving photosynthesis with crop biotechnology is a new prospect for farmers and other key agrifood stakeholders, who will determine the success of such pioneering plant breeding initiatives. We conducted focus groups with 62 participants in four countries to understand farmer and agrifood stakeholder perspectives towards the aim of boosting photosynthesis through biotechnology in rice and potato, two of the world’s most important crops. We found farmers were positive towards the benefits of boosting photosynthesis, although the relative importance of improving yield was debated – water and radiation use efficiency were less contested and linked to more sustainable agriculture. Farmer concerns centered on balancing the competing agronomic and market demands that new varieties would bring. Farmers in the low-income countries had few concerns about the use of biotechnology and anchored their understanding in existing biotechnology crops, such as Golden Rice in the Philippines and Bt Brinjal in Bangladesh. Farmers in Europe and industry stakeholders were more apprehensive about biotechnology crops for several reasons that were rooted in the perceived opinion of consumers and supermarkets towards biotechnology.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-30369-8
Brookes, G. (2026): Glyphosate use in agricultural production: it’s contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions.
GM Crops & Food, 17(1) | https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2025.2594217
This paper estimates the annual global carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from the manufacture, distribution and farm level use of glyphosate and estimates the annual contribution of glyphosate to reducing CO2e emissions through its role in facilitating a shift in farming production practices that are tillage-based into conservation tillage systems based on reduced and no tillage. Total annual global use of glyphosate is 749.27 million kg of active ingredient, applied to 646.11 million (spray) hectares. The CO2e emission generated from the manufacture, distribution and application of glyphosate in global agriculture is annually 9.76 billion kg. The total global combined annual fuel and soil carbon retention-related CO2e emissions of conservation tillage are a net reduction of −138.2 billion kg CO2e. This compares with +41.47 billion kg CO2e emissions if this area had been plowed with conventional tillage practices. Therefore, conservation tillage practices provide a net reduction in combined annual fuel and increased soil carbon retention-related emissions of −179.67 billion kg CO2e relative to a conventional plow-based alternative production system. The total global combined annual fuel and soil carbon retention-related CO2e emissions of conservation tillage attributable to glyphosate is estimated at a net reduction of −41.93 billion kg CO2e. This compares with +13.01 billion CO2e emissions if this area had been plowed, providing a net reduction in combined fuel and soil carbon-related emissions attributable to glyphosate of −54.94 billion kg CO2e annually or the equivalent of taking 21.8 million cars off the road each year.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645698.2025.2594217#abstract
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/21645698.2025.2594217?needAccess=true
Domingo M.S. Fitzgerald B., Robitaille G.M., Ramakrishnan S. et al. (2025): Engineering compact Physalis
peruviana(goldenberry) to promote its potential as a global crop., PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET (2025). DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.70140
Goldenberry (Physalis peruviana) produces sweet, nutritionally rich berries, yet like many minor crops, is cultivated in limited geographical regions and has not been a focus of breeding programs for trait enhancement. Leveraging knowledge of plant architecture-related traits from related species, we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to generate a compact ideotype to advance future breeding efforts and agricultural production. Goldenberry growers will benefit from these compact versions because it optimizes per plot yield, facilitating larger scale production to meet rising consumer popularity and demand.
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.70140
Song L.C.T., Alker A.T.P., Oromí-Bosch A., Swartz S.E. (2026): Identification of proteins influencing CRISPR-associated
transposases for enhanced genome editing. Science Advances 12 (1), DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aea1429
CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs) hold tremendous potential for microbial genome editing because of their ability to integrate large DNA cargos in a programmable, site-specific manner. However, their widespread application has been hindered by poorly understood host factor requirements for transposition. To address this gap, we conducted the first genome-wide screen for host factors affecting Vibrio cholerae CAST (VchCAST) activity using an Escherichia coli RB-TnSeq library and identified 15 genes affecting VchCAST transposition. Of these, seven factors were validated to improve VchCAST activity, and two were inhibitory. Guided by the identification of homologous recombination effectors, RecD and RecA, we tested the λ-Red recombineering system in our VchCAST editing vectors and increased editing efficiency by 55.2-fold in E. coli, 5.6-fold in Pseudomonas putida, and 10.8-fold in Klebsiella michiganensis while maintaining high target specificity and similar insertion arrangements. This study improves the understanding of factors affecting VchCAST activity and enhances its efficiency as a bacterial genome editor.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aea1429
LvX., Han Y. (2025): Field Trials of Genetically Modified Potatoes Resistant to Late Blight. Biological Evidence 15 (6)
Late blight of potato is caused by pathogenic oocytes Phytophthora infestans. Long-term reliance on fungicides for control not only incurs high costs but also brings environmental and health risks. To achieve long-lasting and stable resistance, this study analyzed the disease resistance performance of transgenic potatoes introduced with wild Solanaceous plant resistance genes (Rpi genes) under field conditions in different regions and over multiple years. Although materials carrying a single Rpi gene can delay the onset of the disease to a certain extent, their resistance is easily broken through by pathogenic bacteria. By achieving the superposition of multiple Rpi genes with different sources and complementary recognition effectors through genetic engineering, stable, broad-spectrum, and even complete resistance to late blight can be demonstrated under natural infection conditions, and no significant resistance attenuation has been observed in multi-season trials. The study also combined the molecular detection and field resistance performance of the Rpi gene in Chinese potato germplasm resources to conduct a risk assessment of transgenic disease-resistant potatoes from aspects such as pathogen evolution, ecological security and gene flow. The transgenic and cis-gene breeding strategies with multi-gene superposition provide an important technical path for the sustainable prevention and control of late blight in potatoes.
https://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be/article/view/4169
Jose J., Hamow K.A., Éva C. , Moncsek B., Kyrpa T. et al. (2026): CRISPR/Cas-mediated polyphenol oxidase gene knockout in
potato reveals divergent roles in resistance to bacterial wilt and late blight. Plant Science 364, 112944 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112944
Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) play a pivotal role in plant immune responses by catalysing the oxidation of phenolic compounds into cytotoxic quinones and melanin and contributing to the fortification of cell walls. Despite their biological significance, the high expression of PPOs in potatoes is not desirable due to their promotion of tuber browning. This study elucidates the relationship between PPO activity and defense mechanisms against the diverse pathogens Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) and Phytophthora infestans (Pi) while mitigating enzymatic browning. CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing of the tuber- and root-specific PPO genes in the ‘Désirée’ and ‘Balatoni Rózsa’ potato cultivars considerably reduced enzymatic activity and browning. Among four PPO-edited mutant lines, three exhibited increased susceptibility to Rs while responses to Pi remained unchanged, underscoring the importance of PPOs in resistance to Rs. The PPO knockouts resulted in significant shifts in metabolite and hormone profiles characterized by elevated levels of dihydrokaempferol, coniferyl alcohol and taxifolin among other metabolites in the roots of Rs-susceptible mutants. Additionally, reduced PPO activity in these lines correlated with increased concentrations of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and several antimicrobial compounds and alterations in flavonoid regulation. These findings highlight the complex role of PPOs in plant defense, establishing a positive correlation between PPO activity and resistance to Rs, while offering insights into the trade-offs associated with PPO gene editing in potatoes.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016894522500562X?via%3Dihub
Sow, M.D., Forestan, C., Pont, C. et al. (2025): Striking convergent selection history of wheat and barley and its potential
for breeding. Nat. Plants 11, 2268–2285 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02128-0
Over the past 10,000 years, the development of civilization has been enabled by the domestication of plants and animals tailored to human needs. The Triticeae tribe, including barley and wheat, has emerged as one of the most important sources of staple foods worldwide. Here, comparing genomes of wheat and barley genotypes from around the world, we unveiled genomic footprints of convergent selection affecting genes involved in crop adaptation and productivity, as well as a lack of parallel selection for diverse genes delivering genetic diversity specific to particular geographic and associated environmental conditions. We demonstrate that studying convergent selection between crops can help to identify genes crucial for adaptation and sources of diversity for improving cultivated species—forming the basis of the proposed concept of inter-crop translational research for breeding.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-025-02128-0
Zheng S., Tie H., Chai S., Wang M. et al. (2026): Molecular mechanisms and biotechnological advances in herbicide
resistance: insights into the development of herbicide-tolerant crops. Journal of Plant Physiology 2026, 154690 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2026.154690
Herbicides play a pivotal role in modern agriculture by controlling weed populations and safeguarding crop yields. However, the long-term and extensive use of herbicides has accelerated the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, thereby diminishing their efficacy and posing a serious threat to global food security. Recent advances in molecular biology and plant biotechnology have greatly expanded our understanding of herbicide resistance mechanisms and enabled the development of crops with enhanced herbicide resistance. Herbicide resistance genes function primarily by encoding detoxifying enzymes, modifying herbicide target sites, or activating specific metabolic pathways that mitigate herbicidal toxicity. Emerging genetic tools, including transgenic approaches and CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing, have further facilitated the precise introduction of resistance traits into major crops. It is noteworthy that this review offers novel insights into the latest CRISPR/Cas applications, including base editing and prime editing for developing novel, non-transgenic herbicide-resistant crops. Furthermore, it provides a systematic overview of advanced strategies for engineering multi-gene stacking traits to combat complex or evolving weed resistance. This review integrates recent progress in elucidating the molecular targets of herbicides and the underlying resistance mechanisms, and highlights the potential of modern biotechnological strategies for engineering herbicide-resistant crops to promote sustainable and environmentally responsible weed management.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0176161726000039
Niu, L., Liu, H., Wang, N. et al. (2026). Modification of starch synthesis in food crops using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
technology for changing climate. Stress Biology 6, 2 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44154-025-00278-x
Starch is a principal storage component in plants, significantly influencing the yield and quality traits of major crops. Climate change, particularly drought and high temperatures, severely affects starch biosynthesis in crops, leading to reduced starch yield and quality. The composition and properties of native starch, such as its low amylose content, substantially affect its nutritional value and industrial applications. To tackle these issues, genes coding for starch synthetic enzymes or those involved in the regulation of starch biosynthesis could be targeted for site-directed mutation to improve starch traits in crops. The application of gene editing technology in crops, notably CRISPR/Cas9, has facilitated the precise manipulation of starch biosynthesis. This review summarizes current knowledge on the biosynthesis and regulation of starch and the influence of climate change on these processes. It highlights advancements in modifying starch biosynthesis in food crops using CRISPR/Cas9. We discuss the strategy of improving starch traits and stress tolerance in response to climate change challenges and propose future directions for research on starch modification in food crops. Developing climate resilient crops capable of stable starch production is crucial for ensuring food security in the face of a changing global climate and an increasing world population.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44154-025-00278-x
Dmytrenko, O., Yuan, B., Crosby, K.T. et al. (2026): RNA-triggered Cas12a3 cleaves tRNA tails to execute bacterial immunity.
Nature | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09852-9
In all domains of life, tRNAs mediate the transfer of genetic information from mRNAs to proteins. As their depletion suppresses translation and, consequently, viral replication, tRNAs represent long-standing and increasingly recognized targets of innate immunity1,2,3,4,5. Here we report Cas12a3 effector nucleases from type V CRISPR–Cas adaptive immune systems in bacteria that preferentially cleave tRNAs after recognition of target RNA. Cas12a3 orthologues belong to one of two previously unreported nuclease clades that exhibit RNA-mediated cleavage of non-target RNA, and are distinct from all other known type V systems. Through cell-based and biochemical assays and direct RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that recognition of a complementary target RNA by the CRISPR RNA triggers Cas12a3 to cleave the conserved 5′-CCA-3′ tail of diverse tRNAs to drive growth arrest and anti-phage defence. Cryogenic electron microscopy structures further revealed a distinct tRNA-loading domain that positions the tRNA tail in the RuvC active site of the nuclease. By designing synthetic reporters that mimic the tRNA acceptor stem and tail, we expanded the capacity of current CRISPR-based diagnostics for multiplexed RNA detection. Overall, these findings reveal widespread tRNA inactivation as a previously unrecognized CRISPR-based immune strategy that broadens the application space of the existing CRISPR toolbox.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09852-9
Berezin, M.Y. (2026): Near infrared light controlled gene editing.
Light Sci Appl 15, 55 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-025-02128-x
A novel NIR light-activated CRISPR-dCas9/Cas9 system achieves precise and rapid gene regulation in living organism using a chemically cleavable rapamycin dimer. Unlike previous light-driven systems, this approach offers deeper tissue penetration, low toxicity, fast response, and minimal background activity. This platform opens new directions for highly efficient, targeted, noninvasive, and spatially confined gene editing for a great number of preclinical and clinically translatable applications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-025-02128-x
Qiande M., Altpeter F. (2025): Comparing four heat-inducible promoters in stably transformed sugarcane regarding spatial
and temporal control of transgene expression reveals candidates to drive stem-preferred transgene expression. Front. Plant Sci., Sec. Functional and Applied Plant Genomics16 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1709171
Small heat shock protein (sHSP) promoters contain cis-regulatory elements that facilitate transcription in response to heat stress, making them valuable tools for functional studies through controlled gene expression and the precise regulation of gene-editing tools or morphogenic regulators. To evaluate their utility, GUS reporter gene expression driven by four plant-sourced HSP promoters (pGmHSP17.5, pHvHSP17, pZmHSP17.7, and pZmHSP26) was compared across various tissues of stably transformed sugarcane before and after heat treatment. At 22°C, all promoters showed minimal activity in leaves and roots, although pZmHSP17.7 and pHvHSP17 displayed moderate expression in stems. Following heat treatment, all promoters exhibited their highest activity in stems, followed by leaves and roots. In stem tissues, pGmHSP17.5 displayed heat-induced uidA expression comparable to the constitutive pZmUbi promoter. Notably, heat-induced reporter gene activity in stem middle sections of single-copy transgenic lines containing pZmHSP17.7, pHvHSP17, or pZmHSP26 exceeded pZmUbi-derived uidA activity by 9.7-fold, 3.8-fold, and 3.0-fold, respectively, with 346- to 3,672-fold induction compared to control conditions. Most promoters showed peak expression in the middle sections of the stem, while pHvHSP17 was the most active in the stem apices. Histochemical analysis revealed that pZmHSP17.7 and pHvHSP17 were active in both parenchyma cells and vascular bundles within sugarcane stems. Among leaf tissues, mature leaves exhibited greater expression than senescing or immature leaves, while root activity remained consistently minimal across all promoters. Temperature-course experiments identified distinct activation thresholds: 34°C–36°C for pZmHSP17.7, 36°C for pZmHSP26, 36°C–38°C for pHvHSP17, and 40°C–42°C for pGmHSP17.5. Drought stress also induced reporter gene transcription in stems under HSP promoters, although with lower fold induction than heat treatment. These findings provide valuable tools for gene function studies and biotechnology applications, including heat stress tolerance research, controlled transgene expression in metabolic engineering, precision gene editing, and developmental biology studies.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1709171/full
Singh K., Sharma S., Kalia A., Manchanda P. (2026): Advancement in Mushroom Transformation: From Conventional
Techniques to Modern Genetic Engineering.J Basic Microbiol. 66(1): e70132 | https://doi.org/10.1002/jobm.70132
Mushrooms have long been valued for their nutritional, pharmaceutical, and culinary benefits. Recent studies showcased mushrooms as bio-factories for protein production, and as a source of value-added products by employing genetic manipulation and molecular transformation techniques. Advancements in molecular tools and transformation methods have enhanced the efficiency of genetic improvements in mushrooms by both conventional and modern genetic engineering techniques, paving the way for their use in various industrial applications. Genetic transformation in mushrooms involves transferring genes within and across species to understand gene functions and improve mushroom qualities. The techniques involved in transformation includes Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, hybridization, mutation breeding, particle bombardment, protoplast fusion, and CRISPR/Cas9. This review outlines the life cycle of mushrooms, major difficulties in mushroom transformation, various transformation techniques, their history, efficiency, and success rate. It also highlights the potential of genetic engineering to revolutionize mushroom cultivation and their applications.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jobm.70132
EFSA:
Food enzymes 2026
FEZ Panel (2026): Safety evaluation of a food enzyme containing cellulase, endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase and endo-1,4-β-xylanase
activities from the non-genetically modified Trichoderma reesei strain AR-999. EFSA Journal, 24(1), e9772 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9772
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9772
FEZ Panel (2026): Safety evaluation of the food enzyme α-amylase from the non-genetically modified Aspergillus sp.
strain AR-SHFA-109. EFSA Journal 24(1), e9848. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9848
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9848
Food enzymes 2025
► 2025 EFSA-sicherheitsbewerter Lebensmittelenzyme
► Tabelle aller bis Ende 2025 EFSA-sicherheitsbewerter Lebensmittelenzyme
► Tabelle aller bis Ende 2025 EFSA-sicherheitsbewerter Lebensmittelenzyme, fermentativ mit
GMMO gewonnen