US gene-editing ruling delights plant scientists

Researchers in the U.S. are approved to use genetic editing techniques to modify crops and plants. This decision allowed scientists to create a new generation of GM crops without strict restrictions and the way to approve similar tasks in other parts of the UK and Europe.

Scientists are satisfied with this decision by the US Department of Agriculture. They are afraid that crops produced using simple genetic editing techniques will also limit the production and cultivation of GM crops.

Professor Denis Murphy of the University of South Wales says: "Because agriculture for genetic editing is cheaper, faster, easier and more accurate than genetic modification of plants to remove genes from one organism and transfer it to another organism, this is a situation that is mutually advantageous is."

The European Court of Justice stated in January that crops produced via genetic editing technology are not considered to be regulated by rules governing the European GMO. "At the same time, British Acre - Advisory Committee on the Environment - seems to be sympathizing with this position," said Professor Huw Dylan Jones at Aberystwyth University. "This is a very encouraging thing."

After the hostile green movement, the UK imposed severe restrictions on GM crops 20 years ago and few people planted it. The plant's prospect that this fate will be generated by newer and simpler gene editing techniques is concern and many researchers are concerned about prohibiting good skills in the UK. They said that these concerns are now going away

"If we have our own domestic genetic editing industry, when they are qualified, scientists trained at our university will be able to work here," Murphy said. "Currently, if our young scientists want to keep studying this topic, they have to work in other countries."

Dylan Jones said genetic editing could lead to the development of domestic crops especially suited to the UK. "For example, ryegrass and clover suitable for grazing can be improved to increase resistance to cold," he said. "This is very promising."

CRISPR gene editing has proven to be promising in agricultural research. Scientists at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York use this tool to increase the yield of tomatoes. In the laboratory, we developed a method to increase the yield by editing the genes that determine the size of the tomato, the branching structure, and the shape of the final plant. In his press release, lead researcher and professor of Zachary Lippman's Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory says, "All functions are now controllable with a dimmer switch to control the light bulb." "We now can use natural DNA to enhance the functions provided by nature and we believe this will help break down barriers to production."

Researchers in the U.S. are approved to use genetic editing techniques to modify crops and plants. This decision allowed scientists to create a new generation of GM crops without strict restrictions and the way to approve similar tasks in other parts of the UK and Europe. Professor Denis Murphy of the University of South Wales says: "Because agriculture for genetic editing is cheaper, faster, easier and more accurate than genetic modification of plants to remove genes from one organism and transfer it to another organism, this is a situation that is mutually advantageous is."