A powerful new tool that can help advance the genetic engineering of "fuel" crops for clean, green and renewable bioenergy, has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-institutional partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). The JBEI researchers have developed an assay that enables scientists to identify and characterize the function of nucleotide sugar transporters, critical components in the biosynthesis of plant cell walls. "Our unique assay enabled us to analyze nucleotide sugar transporter activities in Arabidopsis and characterize a family of six nucleotide sugar transporters that has never before been described," says Henrik Scheller, the leader of JBEI's Feedstocks Division and a leading authority on cell wall biosynthesis. "Our method should enable rapid progress to be made in determining the functional role of nucleotide sugar transporters in plants and other organisms, which is very important for the metabolic engineering of cell walls." Scheller is the corresponding author, along with Ariel Orellana at the Universidad Andrs Bello, Santiago, Chile, of a paper describing this research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper is titled "The Golgi localized bifunctional UDP-rhamnose/UDP-galactose transporter family of Arabidopsis." … Continue reading →

ST. LOUIS, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --SAGE Labs Inc., a leading provider of products, services and technologies in the field of genome engineering, announced today that they have licensed CRISPR/Cas9 technology from the Broad Institute. The license enables SAGE Labs to use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to engineer cell and animal models for their clients as well as distribute validated CRISPR reagents. This is the second license obtained by SAGE Labs around CRISPR/Cas9 technology; SAGE also obtained a license from Caribou Biosciences in September 2013. The Broad Institute was recently issued the first patent for CRISPR/Cas9 technology based on the research of Feng Zhang, PhD, published in Science in January of 2013. CRISPR/Cas9 technology represents the latest advancement in nuclease-based gene editing tools, which have revolutionized genetic engineering by markedly reducing development times and enabling genetic engineering in potentially any species. David Smoller, PhD., CEO of SAGE Labs, explained, "At SAGE Labs we use the latest technologies to provide our clients with the most advanced models of human disease, and in the shortest timelines possible. It's also essential that our clients receive the freedom-to-operate with their research models, and we're committed to obtaining the necessary licenses." About SAGE Labs SAGE Labs … Continue reading →

Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops. Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal, which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava. However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment. Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups, which is the minimum number for such tests. Dr. Sesikeran must explain … Continue reading →

New Delhi: Two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) linked outfits on Tuesday sought a ban on field trials of genetically-modified crops cleared by biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressed for greater use of research for boosting the agriculture sector. However, the government said that it is yet to take a final call. Sources said that it has assured RSS affiliated outfits that it will deal with the issue of GM crops with caution, adding that no decision will be taken in haste. Representatives of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bhartiya Kissan Sangh on Tuesday met the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on the issue of field trials of GM crops of certain varieties of rice, brinjal and cotton among others. The outfits claim that the minister assured them that the decision about field trials of GM crops has been "put on hold". They apprised him about their concerns while claiming that the Minister assured them that the decision about field trials of GM crops has been "put on hold". "The minister assured the delegation that the decision about the field trials of GM crops has been put on hold by the government," All-India … Continue reading →