Geneedited | Common News Update

Mar262023 by adminNo Comments

What is gene-edited food and is it safe to eat?

Science

BBC NewsBy Pallab GhoshScience correspondentThe law has changed to allow gene-edited food to be developed and sold in England.The government hopes the technology will boost jobs and improve food production, but safety and environmental worries mean it is not allowed in other parts of the UK.What is gene-edited food?For many years, farmers produced new varieties through traditional cross-breeding techniques. They might, for instance, combine a big but not very tasty cabbage with a small but delicious one to create the perfect vegetable.But this process can take years, because getting the hundreds of thousands of genes in cabbages to mix in just the right way to produce large but tasty offspring is a matter of trial and error. Genetic methods remove the random element. They let scientists id...

Mar252023 by adminNo Comments

Commercial development of gene-edited food now legal in England

Science

BBC NewsBy Pallab GhoshScience correspondentGene-edited food can now be developed commercially in England following a change in the law. Supporters of the technology say it will speed up the development of hardier crops that will be needed because of climate change.Critics say that the change could bring ''disaster'' to our food production and the environment.Gene editing involves making precise changes to an organism's DNA to enhance certain characteristics.What is gene-edited food and is it safe to eat?The new law also opens the door to the development of gene-edited farm animals, but a further vote by MPs will be required before it is allowed, again only in England. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments have not permitted the commercial use of gene editing.BBC NewsGene edit...

Sep42020 by adminNo Comments

Gene-edited babies: Current techniques not safe, say experts

Health

Current scientific techniques are not yet safe or effective enough to be used to create gene-edited babies, an international committee says.The technology could one day prevent parents from passing on heritable diseases to children, but the committee says much more research is needed.The world's first gene-edited babies were born in China in November 2018. The scientist responsible was jailed, amid a fierce global backlash.The committee was set up in response.Most countries have regulations in place preventing babies being born after gene-editing, but the incident led to calls for strong international consensus.Why is gene-editing babies controversial?Gene-editing could potentially help avoid a range of heritable diseases by deleting or changing troubles...

Dec302019 by adminNo Comments

Scientists jailed over ‘world’s first gene-edited babies’

Technology

Three scientists who claimed to be behind the first-ever gene-edited babies have been handed prison sentences for illegal medical practice, Chinese state media has said.Lead researcher He Jiankui sparked controversy last year when he claimed to have created the infants by altering the DNA of embryos for several couples during fertility treatments. The project, which saw two women become pregnant with gene-edited babies, was halted by the Chinese government and those involved have now been sentenced. Image: Gene editing is controversial because changes will be passed down to future generations Xinhua news agency said He was given a three-year prison sentence and fined three million yuan (£229,000), and his colleagues received lesser pe...

Dec302019 by adminNo Comments

China convicts 3 researchers involved in gene-edited babies

Health

Three researchers involved in the births of genetically edited babies have been convicted and sentenced by a Chinese court for practicing medicine illegallyBy KEN MORITSUGU Associated PressDecember 30, 2019, 9:36 AM3 min readBEIJING -- A Chinese scientist who set off an ethical debate with claims that he had made the world's first genetically edited babies was sentenced Monday to three years in prison because of his research, state media said. He Jiankui, who was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, was also fined 3 million yuan ($ 430,000) by a court in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. Two other researchers involved in the project received lesser sentences and fines. Zhang Renli was sentenced to two years in prison and fined ...