Sunday Evening News 486/ 2026
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
June 2026-08-03 - 2026-08-09 Week 32
Meetings – Conferences / Treffen - Veranstaltungen
Grüne Gentechnik – Der Gamechanger auf dem Acker?
Experten diskutieren am 25. August in Nottuln das „Pro und Contra“ moderner Biotech-Verfahren für die Landwirtschaft im Münsterland
Engineering plant immunity by NGT-1: research and application – 4th Workshop of the Plant Health WG,
online, 20 October 2026 – Register & offer talk by 20 September
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Ministerium sieht keinen Spielraum für nationale NGT-Koexistenzregeln
BMLEH und VLOG bewerten Rechtslage zur neuen EU-Verordnung unterschiedlich
Neues Bundesinstitut: Was die Zusammenlegung von BfR, MRI und BZfE bedeutet
Das Bundesagrarministerium plant eine größere Umstrukturierung bei ihren Behörden. Forschung und Kommunikation zu Lebensmittelsicherheit und Ernährungssicherung sollen stärker miteinander verknüpft werden.
Müller S.: Gentechnik aus der Pfalz? Was die EU-Lockerungen der BASF bringen könnten
Koch J.: Ohne Gentechnik: Höhere Auflagen für Landwirte
Informationsdienst Gentechnik: EU-Kommission setzt auf neue Gentechnik bei Tieren
https://www.keine-gentechnik.de/nachricht/gentechnik-tiere
Engineering Harm: Why Genetically Engineered Animals Deepen Risks to Public Health and Animal Welfare
https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/GMO_Animal_final_v2_062426.pdf
SOS: Legal opinion: National GMO coexistence rules continue to apply
https://www.saveourseeds.org/news/legal-opinion-national-gmo-coexistence-rules-continue-to-apply/
Seay S.: New platform speeds bacterial gene mapping for better biotech design
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-platform-bacterial-gene-biotech.html
Nanjing Agricultural University: Potato genes reveal why tubers develop smooth or russet skins
Publications – Publikationen
Gibson, M., Sundiang, M., Mason-D’Croz, D. et al. (2026): Food systems transformation would reshape global agriculture.
Nature | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10775-2
Food systems are a major contributor to exceeding planetary boundaries1,2,3 and poor quality diets are a key mortality risk globally4. Projected population and income growth could exacerbate these challenges5. In response, there are calls for transformation towards healthy and sustainable food systems6,7,8. However, the scale and distribution of the impacts of this transformation on agriculture are underexplored. Here we show that, by 2050, the transformation of food systems towards healthy diets (adoption of the EAT–Lancet reference diet), improved productivity and halving of food waste results in a fundamental restructuring of global agriculture, aspects of which break with historical trends. Scenario simulations using a multimodel ensemble of ten global economic models show a 6% median decrease in agricultural land (+1% to −26%) compared with 2020 levels. By 2050, agricultural production would be 17% lower than business-as-usual projections (−2% to −32%) and, economically, the value of this production is US$1.6 trillion (26%) lower (+8% to −58%). Within this, the value of livestock production would be substantially lower than current 2050 projections (−49% to −83%), while vegetable, fruit, nut and legume production value would increase by 23% (−33% to +106%). Results are dependent on the assumed policies to achieve the transformation scenario. We highlight a more active role for food policy to consider the benefits of such a transformation (improved population health and reduced environmental pressures) and navigate the political economy of its impacts.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10775-2
Salomón L., Capell-Capell T., Paul Christou P., Vaquer A. (2026): Legal consequences of breaching a European mandatory
regulation on genome-edited crops. Trends in Biotechnology 44 (8), 2173-2177 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.12.008Get righ
Genome editing enables targeted mutations indistinguishable from those in conventional breeding. In December 2025, the EU adopted more permissive regulations for some genome-edited crops, in line with other jurisdictions. We discuss consequences and principles available to stakeholders to protect their commercial interests should member states fail to comply with such regulations.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167779925005256
Atimango, A. O., Aparo, N. O., Kalule, S. W., Verbeke, W., & De Steur, H. (2026). A systematic review of agrifood chain actors’
evaluation of genome editing in food and agriculture: trends, determinants and research gaps. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 12(1). | https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2026.2673640
Genome editing (GE) exhibits great potential for advancing sustainability in the agrifood systems. However, evaluations of GE by agrifood chain actors remain varied. This systematic review synthesised existing research on agrifood chain actors’ evaluation of GE in food and agriculture, the determinants of their evaluations, and the methodologies applied in past studies, while also identifying research gaps that could be addressed by future studies. Following the Scientific Procedure and Rationale for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol, 90 relevant studies were reviewed. Findings indicate that GE evaluations are mixed and skewed towards consumers in developed countries. Key determinants were related to information, risk and benefit perceptions and trust in institutions, GE products and technology. Effective science communication, transparent regulations, and tailored messaging emphasising GE benefits could positively affect evaluations. This review highlights methodological limitations, including heavy reliance on quantitative cross-sectional designs and inconsistent measurement scales, and provides actionable insights for policy, academic, and industry research.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311932.2026.2673640#abstract
Taye Z.M. (2026): Making soil biodiversity actionable: genomic evidence, policy gaps, and implementation pathways in
British Columbia. Front. Environ. Sci., Sec. Environmental Policy and Governance Volume 14 - 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2026.1910506
Soil biodiversity underpins nutrient cycling, soil structure, plant productivity, carbon transformation, disease suppression, and ecosystem resilience, yet it remains weakly represented in policy and practice. This gap persists even in jurisdictions where soil health, ecosystem health, forestry sustainability, agricultural resilience, restoration, and biodiversity conservation are increasingly emphasized. Using British Columbia (BC), Canada, as a case jurisdiction, this Policy and Practice Review examines how soil biodiversity and soil biological function can move from implicit recognition to practical implementation. The review identifies three interacting policy domains: direct soil-related frameworks, indirect biodiversity and ecosystem-health frameworks, and enabling frameworks for genomics, data governance, and community capacity. Across these domains, four linked gaps limit implementation: a recognition gap, where soil biodiversity is rarely defined as an explicit governance object; an awareness gap, where belowground biodiversity remains hidden from public and stakeholder attention; a measurement gap, where soil condition is often inferred from physical, chemical, productivity, hydrologic, or vegetation proxies; and an evidentiary gap, where genomic data are not yet standardized, interpreted, or governed as decision-grade evidence. Genomic tools, including environmental DNA, metabarcoding, amplicon sequencing, and metagenomics, can help make soil biodiversity more visible and measurable. However, their policy value depends on integration with baselines, conventional soil indicators, monitoring standards, co-developed interpretation, Indigenous data governance, and clear decision pathways. Drawing on soil biodiversity policy, conservation genomics, biodiversity observatories, and the institutional maturation of molecular evidence, this paper proposes a staged roadmap for BC: build regional baselines, develop co-governed observatories and living labs, standardize decision-grade genomic evidence, and integrate soil biodiversity into monitoring, restoration, environmental assessment, stewardship, and adaptive ecosystem governance. The goal is not to replace existing soil indicators, but to extend them so that belowground biodiversity becomes a routine part of ecosystem-health decision-making.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2026.1910506/full
Chen Y., Romeis J., Meissle M. (2026): Do genetically engineered plants affect aquatic non-target invertebrates? –
a critical review. Environmental Advances 25, 100726 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2026.100726
Environmental risk assessments (ERAs) of genetically engineered (GE) plants rely on robust, high-quality, and relevant ecotoxicological studies on non-target invertebrates. Although ERAs also consider evidence from published literature, the quality of these studies and their suitability for ERA are often unclear. This review focuses on aquatic invertebrates and comprises 51 articles identified through systematic literature searches. The review provides a detailed critical appraisal of studies and synthesizes recommendations for future research.
Studies using purified Bt proteins reported effects on aquatic species only at very high concentrations, which possibly reflect non-specific toxicity rather than Bt protein-specific effects. Adverse effects reported for Bt plant material were frequently inconsistent. Methodological shortcomings indicate plant-background effects or experimental artifacts rather than Bt protein effects. Studies reporting no effects are difficult to interpret when exposure levels are unknown or test durations are short. Artifacts may arise when test substances are insufficiently characterized, when negative control treatments differ from test treatments in aspects other than the test compound, or when results are inconsistent across treatments and temporal repetitions. For laboratory studies involving GE plants other than Bt, as well as field studies, the available evidence does not indicate adverse effects, although methodological limitations were also identified for those kind of studies. Future research using plant material should be designed to disentangle effects of the gene product from plant background effects. The critical appraisal scheme developed in this review provides guidance for robust test protocols using purified proteins and GE plants and is also applicable to studies on terrestrial non-target species.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266676572600044X?via%3Dihub
Hodzic, M.& Moronta Barrios, F. (2026). Gene drives and biosecurity: Dual-use risks, governance gaps and monitoring
needs (Version 1). ICGEB. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20284770
Gene drives raise biosecurity questions because their defining feature (inheritance bias) could enable genetic traits to spread through sexually reproducing populations over generations. This article examines how gene drive biosecurity differs from biosafety, focusing on dual-use concerns, unauthorised release, weak oversight, attribution challenges and potential misuse scenarios. It reviews examples discussed in the literature, including cross-border spread, agricultural disruption, altered disease-vector populations, informal or DIY research, and possible interference with ecosystems or food systems. The article also considers the biological, technical and ecological constraints that limit misuse potential, including organism-specific expertise, sexual reproduction, population structure and uncertainty in field performance. It discusses governance gaps, monitoring needs, detection tools and mitigation strategies, emphasising that biosecurity concerns should be assessed cautiously rather than treated as imminent threats. As a living literature review, this article will be updated as new evidence, capabilities and governance approaches emerge.
https://zenodo.org/records/20284770
Rog, I., Lutz, S., Fesenfeld, L. et al. (2026): Breeding for beneficial microbial associations. Nat Commun 17, 7695 |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76260-6
Beneficial plant–microbe associations (BMAs) offer a valuable opportunity to reduce dependence on synthetic inputs. However, traditional breeding has rarely targeted traits that enhance beneficial interactions, and conventional agricultural practices have often degraded soil health and microbial diversity. We present a framework that combines breeding for traits that facilitate BMA with soil management practices that enrich BMA. This approach integrates advanced breeding technologies with strategies for precise production and inoculation of microbes. Strengthening these complementary plant- and microbe-centered approaches and encouraging their adoption by farmers can foster more resilient and productive agricultural systems with reduced dependence on pesticides and fertilizers.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76260-6
Galano M., van den Dungen M.W., Montaguti P., Welzer M. et al. (2026): Food enzyme safety: an extensive lineage of safe
Aspergillus niger production strains. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 172, 106214 | 10.1016/j.yrtph.2026.106214
Aspergillus niger has been used for decades in the production of food enzymes and other fermented food ingredients. Ensuring the safety of microbially produced enzymes requires comprehensive safety assessments, supported by manufacturing best practices that consistently prevent the presence of fungal toxins at toxicologically relevant levels. This paper corroborates the safety of dsm-firmenich's Aspergillus niger production strain lineage, to support safety evaluations of enzymes produced by strains within this lineage. Toxicological data, including a full battery of genotoxicity tests and a 90-day repeated dose oral toxicity study conducted with ten different food enzymes derived from multiple strains of our lineage, are integrated in this manuscript with the outcomes of historical studies. All enzymes were non-genotoxic, and the systemic safety of all ten enzymes was demonstrated for their intended use in human food applications. The data confirm that the genetic modifications did not increase the toxigenic potential or the systemic toxicity within the lineage. These findings support the use of the dsm-firmenich's Aspergillus niger lineage strains as safe hosts for the production of food enzymes. Furthermore, the outcome provides a scientific foundation for safe strain lineage and read-across approaches that reduce reliance on animal testing.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027323002600187X
Zhang J., Shang L. (2026): Editorial: Genome editing in poultry and livestock. Front. Genome Ed., Sec. Genome Editing in
Animals ,Volume 8 - 2026 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2026.1946439
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genome-editing/articles/10.3389/fgeed.2026.1946439/full
Delyana P. Vasileva et al. (2026): Genome shuffling enables quantitative trait locus mapping in Bacillus subtilis,
Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72929-0
Genetic mapping is a powerful tool for eukaryotic genetics that has only been applied to bacteria in limited circumstances. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping generally relies on sexual recombination to break linkages between genes, yet bacteria rarely undergo sufficient homologous recombination to generate suitable mapping populations. In this work, we used iterative biparental genome shuffling by protoplast fusion in Bacillus subtilis to generate a population of bacteria with substantial random recombination throughout their genomes. Individual shuffled progeny were arrayed in well plates, resequenced, and characterized for a range of complex phenotypes, including spore germination and swarming motility. Genetic mapping of the resulting phenotypes identified high-confidence QTLs of moderate size (~15 kb), and these associations were validated through targeted genetic swaps. This B. subtilis QTL population can easily be used to map additional phenotypes and the general approach for QTL mapping is applicable to a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using diverse methods for genome-wide recombination.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72929-0
EFSA
Messéan, A., Devos, Y., Álvarez, F., & Camargo, A. M. (2026): Scientific assessment of the 2024 post-market environmental
monitoring report on the cultivation of genetically modified maize MON 810 in the EU. EFSA Journal, 24(8), e10278. | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10278
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10278