Slides from the Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: Europe
Posted 2nd September 2019 by Joshua Sewell
The latest event in the Plant Genomics series provided two days of intriguing topics and case studies, not least concerning the ECJ ruling on gene editing and Machine Learning techniques in plant genomics. We have made the following presentation slides available from Ian Bancroft, Anna Coll, Aalt-Jan van Dijk, Nigel Halford, and Jurriaan Ton.
Excellence in Breeding: developing breeding programs in Africa and South Asia
Posted 29th July 2019 by Jane Williams
Kelly Robbins is Assistant Professor at Cornell University. He started his career in animal breeding and later went on to work as a quantitative geneticist at a large private seed company. We spoke to him ahead of his presentation at the 7th Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress: USA.
I came to Cornell University as director of a large project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation called the Genomic Open-Source Breeding Informatics Initiative (GOBII for short).
With the cost of sequencing rapidly declining, it seems inevitable that routine of genomic information in breeding programs in Africa and South Asia will become more prevalent. However, there are certain capabilities, tools, and technologies that need to be in place to be able to exploit this type of information effectively and use it to drive higher rates of genetic gains.
The Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress Presentation Slides
Posted 22nd July 2019 by Joshua Sewell
Following the Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress: Europe, we have made the following presentation slides from Ana Atanassova, Ian Bancroft, Nigel Halford and Kim Hammond-Kossack available.
Enhancing Photosynthesis: a Big Deal
Posted 10th July 2019 by Jane Williams
The PhotoSeed Technology
Enhancing photosynthesis is a critical step to increasing crop yields. This complex 156 step biochemical process has been the subject of many studies in multiple crops. While some step wise gains have been made, the true potential for increasing photosynthesis has not been realized potentially due to the negative feedback mechanisms that exist within plants to regulate this process.
A global perspective on the developments in biotech regulations
Posted 28th June 2019 by Jane Williams
The ECJ ruling on GMOs has raised pertinent issues. How will it impact on current and future research? What are the optimum routes to progressing plant research?
In light of the ruling, it was a good time to welcome experts in policy and regulatory affairs to the recent 7th Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: Europe to explore these issues. We’re lucky to be able to share this presentation from the event for those that weren’t able to make it. Watch it here.
Assessment of the European Court of Justice ruling on gene editing for crop improvement
Posted 21st June 2019 by Joshua Sewell
Anyone involved in the field of agriculture and biotechnology would have been unable to ignore the ECJ ruling on case C-528/16 in July 2018. The ruling confirmed that all plants obtained by any form of mutagenesis are GMOs as defined by Directive (EC) no. 2001/18 and rejected an annulment of mutagenesis exemption (Annex IB of Directive 2001/18. With significant ramifications across the industry, the ECJ stance on gene edited crops and GMOs was a major focus of the 7th Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: Europe.
Using pathogen genome-informed strategies to understand the molecular mechanism plant disease
Posted 12th April 2019 by Joshua Sewell
A key feature of our Congresses is the opportunity given to early career researchers to present their work.
At the upcoming 7th Plant Genomics & Gene Editing Congress: Europe, Egem Ozbudak will be one of four early career researchers to be given a 15-minute platform to present their work and receive a free registration pass for both days of the conference.
He will be discussing his research project on Colletotrichum acutatum, the causative agent of anthracnose crown and fruit rot, recognized as the second most important pathogen of strawberries on the globe due to its economic impacts.
Bridging the policy-practice divide in genome-editing for agriculture
Posted 18th March 2019 by Joshua Sewell
Regulation of emerging technology such as genome editing has mainly focused on responding to the consequences of innovation. The classical regulatory model of “identification-quantification-assessment-safety management” takes a risk-oriented approach to regulation of emerging technology and focuses on constraining the practice of science based on ethics, and administrative and risk management procedures.
