Ghana Scientist Tries Gene Editing To Create Healthier Sweet Potatoes

The Cornell Alliance for Science seeks to build “a significant international alliance of partners” to “correct misinformation and counter conspiracy theories” slowing progress on climate change, synthetic biology, agricultural innovations, and other issues. Slashdot reader wooloohoo shares their article about research on Ghana’s first gene-edited crop — a high-yielding sweet potato with increased beta carotone content. “For sweet potatoes, we want…

CRISPR gene editing used to store data in DNA inside living cells

Biologists have used CRISPR gene editing to store information inside DNA in living bacterial cells, which could become a storage medium of the future Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264383-crispr-gene-editing-used-to-store-data-in-dna-inside-living-cells/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

CRISPR doubles lifespan of mice with rapid ageing disease progeria

CRISPR gene editing in mice has been used to correct a mutation that can cause rapid ageing, dramatically improving the animals’ health and lifespan Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2264168-crispr-doubles-lifespan-of-mice-with-rapid-ageing-disease-progeria/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

CRISPR gene editing of brain cells might prevent Alzheimer’s disease

CRISPR gene editing could be used to introduce a rare gene variant that greatly reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, but it has only been tried in a dish so far Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2261034-crispr-gene-editing-of-brain-cells-might-prevent-alzheimers-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

CRISPR turns normal body fat into a type that burns energy

Animal studies suggest the metabolic conditions linked to obesity could be treated by using CRISPR gene editing to turn normal fat into heat-producing beige fat Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2257655-crispr-turns-normal-body-fat-into-a-type-that-burns-energy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Gene-editing CRISPR technique can help us cut emissions from farming

There are risks to using CRISPR, but also to not embracing it, because it will be much harder to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production without gene editing Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833033-000-gene-editing-crispr-technique-can-help-us-cut-emissions-from-farming/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Nobel prize in chemistry goes to the pioneers of CRISPR gene editing

Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna have won this year’s Nobel prize in chemistry for pioneering the genome editing tool CRISPR-CAS9 Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2256376-nobel-prize-in-chemistry-goes-to-the-pioneers-of-crispr-gene-editing/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Cattle are being gene edited to help them survive climate change

This calf has grey patches on its skin instead of black as a result of CRISPR gene editing. The hope is that it will make it more resistant to heat stress from global warming Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2256097-cattle-are-being-gene-edited-to-help-them-survive-climate-change/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Gene Editing To Produce ‘Super Dad’ Livestock

Scientists have produced gene-edited animals they say could serve as “super dads” or “surrogate sires.” The BBC reports: The pigs, goats, cattle and mice make sperm carrying the genetic material of donor animals. The researchers used a hi-tech gene editing tool to knock out a male fertility gene in animal embryos. The animals were born sterile, but began producing sperm after…

Russian biologist still aims to make CRISPR babies despite the risks

Denis Rebrikov says he is planning to use CRISPR gene editing to prevent children inheriting deafness, despite a major report concluding it is not yet safe enough to try Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253688-russian-biologist-still-aims-to-make-crispr-babies-despite-the-risks/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…