Rich and poor debate treaty on plant gene data as climate change hits crops
Ahead of renewed negotiations to revise a global treaty in Rome on Monday, rich and poor countries are at loggerheads over how to share genetic plant data that could help breed crops better able to withstand climate change. The little-known agreement is seen as crucial ...
Creating meat from cells is no longer the realm of science fiction — a Russian cosmonaut recently did it aboard the International Space Station, and it is just a matter of time before these products arrive on supermarket shelves. Tests carried out in space in ...
Biotech firms eye big profits as owners seek cures for their sick pets
For Jessica Lescault there is no question that her 6-year-old English bulldog Moose deserves cutting-edge biotechnology cancer treatment as much as any human patient. "Pets are your loved ones, pets should be your family, pets are not something you keep on a chain in the ...
Japan biotech venture to sell jacket made with synthetic protein textile
Biotech venture Spiber Inc. and sports apparel-maker Goldwin Inc. on Thursday announced the December launch of what they claim is the world's first outerwear jacket made with protein material produced via microbial fermentation. The Moon Parka jacket will go on sale in a limited volume ...
Jump around: How 'jumping genes' could transform gene editing
For years, scientists have used a tool something like a pair of scissors for the complex task of genetic editing, but a newly discovered technique using "jumping genes" could offer a seamless, safer alternative. Gene editing is the process of altering a part of DNA ...
China's top legislature to draw up tighter rules on human gene, embryo trials
China's National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, will consider tougher rules on research involving human genes and embryos, the first such move since a Chinese scientist sparked controversy last year by announcing he had created the world's first "gene-edited" babies. He Jiankui, associate ...
Genetically modified mice at $17,000 a pair in high demand as China bids to be biomedical powerhouse
Sacks of pungent animal feed cram the corridors of a Cyagen Biosciences Inc. center for laboratory mice in southern China, maximizing space for rodents that sell for as much as $17,000 a pair. Demand is skyrocketing in China for animals that mimic the diseases of ...
Canada's first commercial farm for genetically modified salmon received environmental approval on Tuesday — the final hurdle in a decades-long push to bring the fast-growing fish to market, amid strong opposition. The U.S.-based biotech firm AquaBounty said it would begin stocking its Rollo Bay facility ...
U.S. regulators on Friday gave the green light to salmon genetically modified to grow about twice as fast as normal, but the company behind it may face legal challenges before the fish can be sold domestically. The Food and Drug Administration said it had lifted ...
The University of California will soon be granted a potentially valuable patent on the revolutionary gene-editing technology known as CRISPR, according to a document filed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday. The decision to grant the patent could further fuel a rivalry ...
Tests suggest scientists have achieved first 'in body' gene editing in bid to treat rare disease
Scientists think they have achieved the first gene editing inside the body, altering DNA in adults to try to treat a disease, although it is too soon to know if this will help. Preliminary results suggest that two men with a rare disorder now have ...
China clones gene-edited monkeys for research on sleep disorders
Chinese scientists have made clones of a gene-edited macaque to aid research of circadian-rhythm disorders that are linked to sleep problems, depression and Alzheimer's disease, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday. It is the first time multiple clones have been made from ...
