Nutrition – Genome engineering

29 Aug

Gene-Edited Superfoods: Addressing Global Nutrition

August 29, 2024July 22, 2025Rose Okech Nutrition No Comments

Farmers, scientists, and consumers advocate for gene-edited crops as a solution to global challenges, emphasizing the need for informed public dialogue and regulatory reform.

On May 13, 2024, the University of Milan announced a breakthrough in gene editing. The first-ever field trial for a gene-edited crop in Italy—risotto rice tweaked to resist the destructive rice blast fungus.

“Today is a revolutionary day for biotechnologists,” said lead researcher Vittoria Brambilla at the time.

A month later, however, the crop was destroyed in a single night. Not by fungus, but by unknown vandals.

Scientists and science communicators at the training.

30 Sep

Over 50 scientists and science communicators trained to communicate on genome editing

September 30, 2022September 24, 2024Evans Genome editing No Comments

The Alliance for Science (AFS), in conjunction with the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Nigeria, Boyce Thomson Institute, and IITA–CGIAR, organized a 3-day training for scientists and science communicators on Communicating Gene Editing in Abuja, Nigeria. The training took place on 19−21 September and aimed to provide participants with the appropriate communication skills to communicate on gene editing for food sustainability, nutrition, and security in Africa.

Executive Director of the Alliance for Science, Dr Sheila Ochugboju, opened the event with a keynote speech. She recognized the need for such training events, as a former scientist herself, who completed her postdoctoral research in Oxford University, working on genetic engineering for biological pesticides. She was visibly moved to return to her home country Nigeria, to welcome scientists and communicators creating an enabling environment for world-class science and innovation.

Also, IITA Head of Abuja station, and BASICS II project leader, Prof. Sanni Lateef in his remarks at the opening event encouraged the next generation of scientist-participants to exceed the achievements of the older scientists in terms of scientific research and innovations. “Science is evolving, and we need a new generation of science inventors to keep up with it,” he said.

OFAB Country Coordinator Dr Rose Gidado and IITA Plantain Transformation Scientist Valentine Ntui explained the science of gene editing. They pointed out that genome editing is a revolution for science and medicine that takes advantage of the cell’s DNA repair mechanisms, resulting in many different molecular outcomes.

Gene edited banana in a greenhouse. Photo credit: Jaindra Tripathi/IITA

01 Jun

Genome editing: New breeding tool with potential to sustain agriculture in Africa

June 1, 2022September 17, 2024Lekan Giwa Genome editing, Nutrition No Comments

Climate change affects the environment extensively in socioeconomic and related sectors, including agriculture and food and nutritional security for the growing global population. To address this urgent need, Africa needs to adopt sustainable intensification of agriculture to close the yield gap in staple crops, where tools, including biotechnology and traditional approaches, are recommended for crop improvement.

The recent study titled “Genome Editing for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa” published in the journal Frontiers in Genome Editing revealed the need and efficiency of exploring genome editing as an addition to conventional technologies for developing improved crop varieties.

The study noted that CRISPR-based genome editing has rapidly become the most prevalent genetic engineering approach for developing improved crop varieties because of its simplicity, efficiency, specificity, and ease of use. Genome editing technologies allow targeted manipulation of the plant genomes, accelerating breeding efforts to develop improved crop varieties. It can also reduce inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, increase yields, improve nutrition, and develop climate-resilient crops