Miksi GM on hyvä asia?

[Heikki Jokipii]

Vehnä:

The next ‘big thing’ in genetically modified crops: Drought-tolerant and herbicide resistant wheat. Here’s what you need to know

Long delayed, the vision of genetically engineered wheat passed a major milestone this past month. The Argentine company Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp has been engineering a wheat that has been bred to be drought-tolerant and tolerant of the herbicide glufosinate. Last September, the United States Department of Agriculture approved HB4 for U.S. cultivation. The Food and Drug Administration has already determined in 2022 that the variety was safe for humans to eat.

The United States is the fourth country to approve HB4 after Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. This clears the hurdle for HB4 in conjunction with U.S. breeders to begin closed-field trials. This follows the commercialization of HB4 soybeans a few years back. Rollout of the soybeans was ostensibly simpler because genetically engineered soybeans of various traits have been on the market for decades. Still, because of wheat’s place in our daily diet, novel environmental questions remain to be answered specific to wheat production.

Enää ei ole kyse hysteriasta Monsanton "karanneen GMO-vehnän" kanssa. Se tapaus on siirtynyt historian kuriositeettien joukkoon.

[Heikki Jokipii]

Peruna on näissä piireissä nyt muutenkin tapetilla kuin pelkästään perunaruttoa kestävien lajikkeiden kautta:

The humble potato is undergoing a genetic revolution. Here’s how and what that means

Solynta’s potatoes are at the vanguard of a breeding project, launched almost two decades ago, that has shaken up the world of potato research. They are products of hybrid breeding, a technology that has improved many crops beyond breeders’ wildest dreams — but not most commercially grown potatoes, due to a quirk in their biology. As a result, potato breeding is so slow that people today are still eating many of the same cultivars their great-grandparents did a century ago.

Experts say Solynta has cracked that problem, which helped lay the groundwork for a revolution in potato breeding.

[Heikki Jokipii]

Ruskistumattomat ja kauan säilyvät banaanit:

Non-browning and extended life bananas are here—thank you gene editing

UK-based plant biotech co Tropic is gearing up to launch non-browning bananas in March and bananas with extended shelf-life by the year end—innovations it says will open up the cut fruit market, cut food waste, unlock new export markets, and reduce shipping costs.

Mutta asiaan liittyy tämäkin:

Separately, it is expanding field trials of Cavendish bananas resistant to the devastating fusarium wilt fungal disease (TR4) that is decimating crops around the world.

Tuohon on käytetty geenieditointia. Joten jonkinlainen toivo nähdä noita tuotteita EU:n ja Suomen kaupoissa on olemassa.

Mutta koska luomuväki on maalannut itsensä nurkkaan myös geenieditointikysymyksessä, on nähtävissä tulevaisuus, jossa luomubanaanit tunnistaa – väristä. 

Ja juuri luomubanaaneja löytyy kaupan roskiksista. Tai sitten niitä ei löydy sieltäkään.

[Heikki Jokipii]

Ovat nyt kehittäneet myös "kultaisen salaatin":

Combating global micronutrient deficiencies: Israeli scientists deploy gene editing to develop vitamin-rich lettuce

The newly developed lettuce variety contained 2.7 times more β-carotene (provitamin A), an essential compound for vision, immune function, and skin health. It also boasted higher levels of zeaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that protects against blue light damage and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a remarkable 6.9-fold increase in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which supports immune function and enhances iron absorption.

(lihav. HJ)

Se voi nyt olla onnekasta, että tuo on tehty geenieditoinnilla. Jonka EU:kin on ehkä hyväksymässä. Mutta tehdyt muutokset ovat laajempialaisia, ja ovat nyt ratkaisemassa tätä ongelmaa:

Nutrient deficiencies, often referred to as “hidden hunger,” affect millions of people worldwide, particularly in regions where access to diverse, nutrient-rich foods is limited. Hidden hunger refers to a form of malnutrition where individuals suffer from deficiencies in essential micronutrients despite having enough calories to meet their basic energy needs. It is not immediately visible because people may appear well-nourished in terms of body weight, but their bodies lack crucial nutrients that are necessary for proper growth, immune function, and overall health.

Mutta olisi ehkä hyödyllistä, jos tuo salaattilajike ihan ensimmäiseksi rekisteröitäisiin myös EU:ssa. Ja tulisi Suomessakin myyntiin.

[Heikki Jokipii]

Myös Intiassa nähdään juuri geenieditoinnissa mahdollisuuksia:

Viewpoint: India has a huge opportunity on gene editing:—This isn’t about corporate-controlled GM crops. It’s about empowering farmers with healthier and more resilient plants.’

Perusteluna tavallaan kaksi asiaa:

Imagine mangoes growing in the deserts of Rajasthan, wheat that thrives in extreme heat and provides higher nutrition, or rice that resists drought and pests without pesticides. CRISPR can make these a reality. India has the agricultural diversity, scientific expertise and urgent need to transform its food systems. India can lead a CRISPR-powered agricultural revolution fundamentally different from past genetic modifications like Bt cotton, which introduced foreign genes and raised ecological concerns. Unlike traditional genetic engineering, CRISPR makes precise, natural-like edits without inserting foreign DNA, making it a safer and more ethical tool.

This isn’t about corporate-controlled GM crops. It’s about empowering farmers with healthier and more resilient plants. But CRISPR must not be left to profit-driven corporations like Monsanto (now Bayer), which have a history of reckless commercialisation. India must ensure CRISPR serves people, not corporate bottom lines.

Sielläkin siis tuo hiukan taikauskoinen pelko vieraasta DNA:sta.

Mutta myös riippumattomuus suurista monikansallisista yhtiöistä. Joka on osin ihan hyväksyttäväkin näkökohta.

Vaikka olemme täällä tehneet kaikkemme ( ) juuri Monsanton maineen parantamiseksi:

Käytännössä kaikki se paha, mitä kuulet Monsantosta, on pötyä

[Heikki Jokipii]

Eteenpäin Kultaisesta riisistä. Kiinalaiset kehittämässä riisistä terveyspommia:

Mostly nutrition-less rice could be gene edited to increase heart health for hundreds of million of nutrition-challenged children

A team of Chinese scientists has successfully modified rice to produce coenzyme Q10, an essential compound known for its role in energy production and heart health. This development could make it easier for millions of people to get a crucial nutrient without relying on supplements.