Sunday Evening News 466 / 2026
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
February 2026-03-09 - 2026-03-15
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Save the date:
International Conference on Genome Editing Ethics and Regulatory Frameworks, organized by ASPHER, will be held
on 17 November 2026 at Frankfurt, Germany.
https://www.aspher.net/conf/index.php?id=100908899
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Commission authorises and renews use of four safe genetically modified crops as food and animal feed
https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/sante/newsletter-archives/72991
(see also: https://www.wggev.de/zulassungen-gv-pflanzen-gvo-2026-import-in-eu/)
Arnason R.: No evidence of health risks from genetically modified crops found
https://www.producer.com/news/no-evidence-of-health-risks-from-genetically-modified-crops-found/ (Bezug auf Kim A.Y. et al. 2026; SENews 465)
UK biotech firm raises US$105 million to expand gene-edited bananas
Norwich gene editing group scores £80m round
https://www.uktech.news/agtech/norwich-gene-editing-group-scores-80m-round-20260313
Rennert D.: Wie Genome-Editing die Landwirtschaft verändert
https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000059253067/wie-genome-editing-die-landwirtschaft-veraendert
VÖL: Gesetzesvorschlag zur Neue Gentechnik – ein trojanisches Pferd, das es zu stoppen gilt
VLOG: Widerstand gegen EU-Deregulierung Neuer Gentechnik hält an
https://www.ohnegentechnik.org/artikel/widerstand-gegen-eu-deregulierung-neuer-gentechnik-haelt-an
Bauernbund Brandenburg an Abgeordnete: Neue Gentechnik im Europaparlament scheitern lassen!
Zur Agrarministerkonferenz vom 18. bis 20. März 2026 in Bad-Reichenhall: Stellungnahme zu Neuen Gentechniken, Patenten und
Koexistenz; TOP 24 „Patentierung von Saatgut/Nutzpflanzen verhindern – und Koexistenz der Landbewirtschaftungsformen ermöglichen (Beschlussvorschlag aus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Wissenschaftsrat: Wissen und Wirkung – Wie macht Wissenschaft Deutschland innovativer?
https://www.wissenschaftsrat.de/DE/Home/Buehne/_Inhalte/Inhalte_Online/2026_04_Wissen_Wirkung
Zoske S.: Warum die Buchstaben der DNA nicht immer Gesetz sind
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: March 11/2026
Publications – Publikationen
Van Etten J.,∙Johnson M.D. (2026): The ecology of horizontal gene transfer | Trends in Genetics,
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) generates genetic variation in populations across all domains of life; however, most studies focus on individual transfers and functional information derived therefrom. This is useful but does not consider DNA transfer more broadly, that is, nongene transfers, donor–recipient dynamics, or trends and background levels that may help infer ecological information. Here, we review the mechanistic underpinnings of DNA transfer, literature from diverse fields that addresses HGT on a community basis and the associated methodological challenges, and propose a framework for conceptualizing the process of DNA transfer, highlighting DNA mobility as a feature of community ecology and DNA itself as a public good. These ideas coalesce to support DNA transfer as a fundamental ecological phenomenon that remains largely unmeasured.
https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/abstract/S0168-9525(26)00037-5?rss=yes
Paleologo M., Lanubile A., Leggieri M.C., Gomarasca P., Graffigna G. (2026): Understanding Acceptance of Genome-Edited Crops
and Foods: The Role of Trust, Attitudes, and Perceived Literacy in Italy Foods2026, 15(6), 1007;https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061007
Genome-editing (GE) techniques are gaining relevance in the agri-food system for their potential to enhance crop resilience and sustainability, raising questions about consumer acceptance and responsible innovation. Understanding public willingness to buy (WTB) GE foods is therefore essential. While trust in science is often cited as a key driver, its effects are not straightforward. This study examines mechanisms linking trust in science to WTB GE foods, testing the mediating role of attitudes and the moderating role of perceived literacy. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a representative sample of Italian adults. Using structural equation modelling, we tested three models: a mediation model, a model including a direct path between trust and WTB, and a moderated model incorporating perceived literacy. Trust predicted more favourable attitudes toward GE, and attitudes were strongly associated with WTB. However, when controlling for attitudes, the direct effect of trust on WTB was negative. Perceived literacy significantly moderated this relationship: higher perceived literacy strengthened the negative trust–WTB association. Overall, generalized trust in science is not sufficient for public acceptance of GE crops and foods. Communication strategies should move beyond trust-building and foster informed, critically engaged consumers.
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/15/6/1007
Haider S., Singh A.P., Panthi B., Sindhu S.R., Safa N.T., Malik S., Rahimi M. (2026): Advances in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing
for crop improvement and global food security. Current Plant Biology 46, 100593 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpb.2026.100593
Global food security is escalating by population growth, climate change and depletion of basic resources, and explicitly demands the implementation of cutting-edge approaches to improve crop yield, resilience, and nutritional quality. CRISPR/Cas9 technology has transformed modern agriculture by introducing accurate and inherently stable modifications in different plants. This review highlights the latest advancements in the application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology for crop improvement and explores its potential in mitigating global food security. These advancements include the use of base and prime editing to accurately alter metabolic pathways for nutritional enhancements, along with designing Cas variants with limited dependency on PAM, to facilitate editing in complex genome crops like wheat. Moreover, the integration of artificial intelligence-driven target prediction and speed breeding has significantly improved varietal development by shortening breeding period and increasing resilience to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Case studies in cereal (Rice, wheat, maize, and sorghum) and horticultural crops provide evidence of CRISPR’s major contribution towards limiting food security, improving nutritional value, and mitigating postharvest waste. This section also addresses the dynamic regulatory developments in different areas, associated ethical reflections, and approaches to foster fair accessibility stressing the transparent governance and public participation in the implementation of this technique.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214662826000150
Song X., Fab B.-L., Hong X., Su P., Sun M. (2026): Unveiling Plant Metabolic Diversity: Integrating Metabolomics with
Multi-Omics Approaches for Crop Improvement. Plants, 15 (5), 846;https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15050846
Metabolomics, representing the biochemical phenotype of cells or tissues, serves as an intrinsic factor underlying the differences in plant traits. Recent advances in multi-omics technologies have significantly deepened our understanding of plant metabolic diversity, enabling researchers to dissect complex biochemical networks at unprecedented levels of detail. This review explores the integration of metabolomics with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics, microbiomics, and other omics approaches, emphasizing the power of these combined approaches in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation, stress resistance, and phenotypic variation. Through a critical analysis of representative case studies across diverse crops, we demonstrate how multi-omics strategies facilitate the identification of key metabolic pathways and regulatory networks for crop improvement. We also discuss current challenges in data integration, metabolite coverage, and the functional characterization of unknown compounds, and propose future directions for overcoming these limitations. Addressing these challenges will require both the enhanced resolution and sensitivity of analytical techniques, as well as more robust frameworks for data integration and interpretation. By overcoming these challenges, the convergence of metabolomics with other omics disciplines will continue to expand our understanding of plant biology, offering novel insights and innovation in crop breeding and sustainable agriculture.
https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/15/5/846
Morris, G.P., Harder, A.M., Healey, A.L. et al. (2026): A sorghum pangenome reference improves global crop trait discovery.
Nature | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10229-9
Although the green revolution adapted a handful of crops to homogeneous and high-input industrialized agriculture, much of the global population still relies on the local production of variable crop cultivars by low-input smallholder farms. This diversity of unhomogenized crops1, like that of the grain and bioenergy crop sorghum2,3,4,5, offers raw materials for genetic gain and cultivar improvement. However, breeding efforts can be constrained by highly specialized traits and breeding targets6. Here, to bridge this diversity, we constructed a 33-member pangenome reference and a diversity panel across 1,984 cultivars and landraces. We leveraged these resources to explore the complex interplay among historical contingency, ongoing adaptation and previously uncharacterized structural diversity. Specifically, our analyses conclusively demonstrated multiple nested and deeply diverged structural variants in the domestication gene SHATTERING1, which distinguish the previously established multicentric origin of sorghum. We then applied landscape genomics to reveal how gene flow and secondary contact created the complex genetic mosaic in contemporary breeding networks. As proof of concept for pangenome-accelerated trait discovery, we connected biosynthetic gene cluster structural variation to phenotypic leaf concentration of the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin. Combined, these approaches will accelerate breeding and trait discovery and provide a framework for similar applications in other crops.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10229-9
Wang, C., Fu, S., Yi, C. et al. (2026): An NLR–transposase fusion gene from rye provides broadly effective resistance to
stripe rust in wheat. Nat. Plants | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02248-1
Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a major threat to global wheat production. To explore new resistance resources, we screened 100 hexaploid triticale accessions using the predominant Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races CYR32, CYR33 and CYR34 and found that most accessions showed high resistance, with the cultivar Rozovskaya displaying near-immunity. Through map-based cloning, we identified a resistance gene located on chromosome 6RL. Analysis of resequencing data from 117 rye accessions revealed two major haplotypes, both of which conferred near-immunity and broadly effective resistance to stripe rust in transgenic wheat. Sequence analysis and virus-induced gene silencing collectively confirmed the identity of this gene as Yr83. Yr83 encodes an atypical nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat protein (NLR) fused to a Harbinger transposase-derived nuclease domain (HTDND). Truncation of the HTDND abolishes resistance, indicating that this domain is essential for Yr83-mediated immune function. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NLR–HTDND proteins are restricted to the Pooideae subfamily. For breeding applications, we employed a small 6RL translocation line that shows excellent agronomic performance, not only conferring strong resistance but also increasing spikelet number and grain number per spike. Our study reveals a transposase-integrated NLR as a valuable resource for wheat stripe rust resistance breeding.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-026-02248-1
Hazelwood O.S., Diehl K.A., Hollenbeck V., Demura-Devore J-D. et al: 2026): Cell cycle follows ‘pause and play’ mechanism in
salt and cold stress recovery in diverse plant species. New Phytologist; https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71041
Changes to organismal growth induced by environmental stress are orchestrated at the cellular level. These periods of stress may be followed by recovery periods, when plants have the opportunity to return to normal growth conditions.
However, the cell cycle mechanisms underlying recovery are poorly understood. We tested the cell cycle regulation in roots during control, stress, and recovery period for salt, osmotic, cold, and heat stresses using Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and Lolium multiflorum.
During the salt and cold stress conditions, the cell cycle pauses at gap phase and is released from gap phase during stress recovery, which depends on cell cycle regulators CDKA;1 and ICK1.
Cold stress and recovery, which affect cell division only, follow a conserved ‘pause and play’ mechanism of the cell cycle.
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nph.71041
Zhang H., Windhorst A., Bornhofen E., Tulpova Z. et al. (2026): Allelic variation at a single locus distinguishes spring and
winter faba beans. Nature Genetics. | Nature Genetics | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-026-02524-y
Winter faba beans exhibit significant yield advantages over spring cultivars and hold promise for enhancing local protein production and agricultural sustainability. However, the threat of winter kill limits wider cultivation, and the genetics of faba bean winter hardiness remain unresolved. Here we develop a greatly improved faba bean reference genome and combine this with resequencing and phenotyping of winter and spring accessions to identify genetic determinants of winter hardiness. Genome-wide association analysis of frost tolerance traits identifies a major winter hardiness locus, the most strongly associated variant of which explains the vast majority of phenotypic variation and accurately differentiates betweenwinter and spring types. Furthermore, we identify additional signals withinthe winter faba bean gene pool that could lead to further improvementof winter hardiness. Our work provides improved genomic resources and resolves the genetics of a key agronomic trait in a global protein crop to facilitate future breeding efforts.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-026-02524-y.pdf
Shabbir, R., Javed, T., Sun, S. R., Wang, Z. Q., Zhang, W., Gao, S. J., & Wang, Q. N. (2026): Functional genomics in sugarcane
breeding: key challenges and strategies. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 1–21. | https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2026.2614075
Sugarcane, a leading source of sugar and bio-energy around the globe stands at the cross-road of genome complexity and agricultural innovation, offering the immense potential to fuel a sustainable future. Functional genomics with its precise identification and manipulation of genes could enable researchers unlock this potential and accelerate the breeding efforts. However, the polyploid genome of sugarcane with: high heterozygosity, high-repetitive DNA content, multiple copies of homo(eo)logous gene, epistatic interaction of alleles, etc., challenges the gene annotation, genome sequencing, genome editing, and phenotypic characterization. Similarly long breeding cycle, low transformation efficiency, time-consuming, and labor-intensive transformation methods further complicates the genome editing. Recent advances of functional genomics are transforming this scenario, such as current availability of reference genome “R570,” has provided a significant insight of genome architect and function. Genome wide association studies (GWAS)/genome selection (GS) are enhancing trait-mapping and prediction of breeding values to accelerate the breeding cycles. The current era of smart breeding with integrative bio-informatics, advance genome editing tools, i.e., CRISPR/Cas-systems (Cas-proteins, Cas-RNPs, d-Cas-RNPs, and CRISPRa/i), and high-throughput phenomics offers a significant approach to: overcome transformation bottlenecks, explore complex trait architect and address polyploidy challenges. Therefore, this review summarizes the key challenges and focuses on elaborating recent advances and suggests optimized strategies for future improvement in functional genomics of sugarcane breeding.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07388551.2026.2614075
Munawar W., Ishaq S., Arvas Y.E., Belduz A.O., Savatin D.V. (2026): Microbial degradation of Dicamba: Emerging enzymes,
genetic pathways, and prospects for engineered bioremediation. Plant Stress 20, 101310 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2026.101310
The extensive agricultural use of dicamba, a volatile and highly mobile herbicide, has led to environmental contamination and off-target crop damage. However, microbial metabolism offers an eco-friendly strategy to meet these challenges. In this context, recent scientific advances have discovered numerous microbial species capable of degrading dicamba. Moreover, these studies have elucidated the underlaying mechanisms and metabolic pathways linked to dicamba degradation. This review comprehensively summarizes the microbial diversity, molecular and genetic mechanisms, enzymatic pathways and biotechnological prospects, integrating recent molecular insights with emerging synthetic biology applications to propose a holistic framework for bioremediation. To date, two major degradation routes have been identified, (i) NADH-dependent dicamba O-demethylases (e.g., ddmABC) and (ii) THF-dependent methyltransferase systems (e.g., dmt50/dmt06). These mechanisms have been characterized in Stenotrophomonas. maltophilia DI-6, Sphingobium sp. Ndbn-10, and Rhizorhabdus dicambivorans Ndbn-20 respectively. The diversity in degradation mechanisms demonstrates convergent evolution toward efficient demethylation and detoxification. The genetic dissection and heterologous expression of these enzymes have elucidated their coordinated catalytic roles in degradation process. These insights along with comparative genomics and metabolomics established the foundation of synthetic biology approaches such as SoxRS-based biosensing circuits and engineered degradative modules, which present innovative microbial platforms for real-time detection and neutralizations of dicamba. The current knowledge provides a foundation for future advancements in microbial assisted phytoremediation, optimization of microbial formulations for bioaugmentation, and the development of robust multi-herbicide degradation systems guided by gene–environment interactions. The integration of these biotechnological approaches into agricultural practices will ensure the environment safety, food security and sustainable weed management in future.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X2600093X
Uhegwu C.C., Anumudu C.K. (2025): Genetically Modified Crops as a Strategy for Reducing Pesticide Dependence in Sub-
Saharan Africa: Exploring Benefits, Adoption Constraints and Policies. Biol. Life Sci. Forum 54 (1), 32 | https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025054032
The overreliance on chemical pesticides in sub-Saharan African (SSA) for agriculture poses major challenges to sustainable agriculture, ecosystem and human health, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. While genetically modified (GM) crops have demonstrated potential to lower pesticide use and increase crop yield, their widespread adoption remains limited across SSA, with gaps in knowledge on their yield, benefits and policies impacting their uptake. In this study, a literature-based approach was used to synthesize evidence from peer-reviewed articles and government reports published between 2010 and 2025 on pesticide use, farm productivity, and wellbeing of farmers across three focus countries: Nigeria, South Africa, and Burkina Faso. The summary of approved GM crops, events and utilisation across the three focus countries was also retrieved from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) database. Cross-country comparisons were conducted to highlight lessons learned from successful and stalled GM crop programs and to identify regulatory, socio-cultural, and economic factors shaping adoption. It is shown that while GM crops can significantly reduce pesticide usage and production costs, challenges such as public hesitancy, regulatory hurdles, limited farmer awareness, and concerns about ecological consequences continue to hinder wider uptake across the continent. Similarly, weak seed systems and the lack of regionally harmonized biosafety regulations also constrain adoption. In areas where GM crops have been successfully adopted, it was demonstrated that supportive policy frameworks, transparent biosafety regulations, effective seed certification and distribution systems, and sustained community engagement increased farmer confidence and accelerated adoption. Hence, for GM crops to be more widely adopted for sustainable crop protection in sub-Saharan Africa, governments and stakeholders must strengthen biosafety systems, invest in farmer education, promote regional regulatory coordination, and facilitate public–private partnerships.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/54/1/32