Binh Dinh Scientists shared new advances in crop gene editing at a biotechnology conference on April 11 and 12.
The largest international conference on gene editing in plants in Vietnam, gathering hundreds of scholars, experts, and leading researchers in the world in the field of plant breeding and biotechnology application, held at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh.
Professor David Jackson, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (USA), head of the organizing committee, said that the conference updated the latest scientific advances in the field of gene editing in plants, including breakthrough technology development, sustainable solutions to improve productivity, ensure food security and environmental sustainability.
Professor David Jackson speaks at the conference on the morning of April 11. Photo: Trong Nhan/ICISE.
Dr. Do Tien Phat, Head of Plant Cell Technology Department, Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, said that the selected reports shared the potential of genome editing research in plants and the value of technology in the agricultural sector. The presence of international speakers is an opportunity to connect with domestic scientists on the application of crop solutions.
The conference consisted of four sessions with about 20 presentations by speakers from 12 countries including the United States, China, Australia, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, the Philippines and Vietnam. In the main session, scientists discussed the nature and mechanism of gene editing in plants. Among these were the latest research advances on important crops such as rice, soybean, tomato, and sugarcane.
Professor Masaki Endo, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Japan, emphasized the outstanding traits that gene editing technology can create for crops, thereby improving quality and enhancing resistance to adverse weather conditions. Meanwhile, Dr. Ellie Taagen, data scientist of the crop genome editing team at Bayer Crop Science (USA) shared her experience in promoting large-scale plant breeding.
On April 12, researchers discussed the latest breakthroughs in the field of genome editing and the application of this technology in agriculture, especially in addressing the challenges of climate change. Among them was a report on the discovery of soybean genes through editing by Professor Minviluz Garcia Stacey (University of Missouri, USA) or progress in gene editing to improve sugarcane varieties by Dr. Ramaswamy Manimekalai of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, India. Vietnamese scientists also shared the results of initial successful research in creating rice that is drought-resistant and stimulates growth.
International scientists come to Vietnam to share research achievements. Photo: Trong Nhan/ICISE.
Among the breakthrough technologies that change crop productivity, CRISPR genome editing is shared by many scientists. This is a tool that helps breed crop varieties to create improved traits accurately, efficiently and quickly. Applying CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit the genome helps create crop varieties with high nutritional content, high productivity, and climate resistance.
The conference also updated the legal regulations and approaches in managing gene-edited crops in the world. Professor Pham Van Toan, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that Vietnam has completed the orientation and legal basis for the application of biotech crops. However, to date, there are still no specific legal guidelines for the assessment and management of gene-edited crops.
Currently, many countries in the world have completed legal guidelines for gene-edited crops, in which the American countries and Australia are the leading countries. Asia is behind but has a remarkable growth rate in research and application of gene-editing technology. The evidence is that the number of studies in Asia, especially China, is leading the world. Currently, many Asian countries have completed the legal framework for these crops. These countries have proposed specific concepts and classifications for gene-edited crops. Accordingly, if the final gene-edited crop does not contain foreign DNA, it will be considered, evaluated and managed like traditional crops. Currently, the European Commission is proposing changes to the management policy for gene-edited crops in line with the general trend.
Nhu Quynh
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