Engineered wood is often seen as a renewable replacement for traditional building materials like steel…It also has the potential to store carbon for a longer time than traditional wood because it can resist deterioration…
But the hurdle to true sustainability in engineered wood is that it requires processing with volatile chemicals and a significant amount of energy, and produces considerable waste…
Using a technology called base editing to knock out a key gene called 4CL1, the researchers were able to grow poplars with 12.8% lower lignin content than wild-type poplar trees. This is comparable to the chemical treatments used in processing engineered wood products…
They found that the compressed genetically modified poplar performed on a par with the chemically processed natural wood. Both were denser and more than 1.5 times stronger than compressed, untreated, natural wood.
Previous RIPE team members had shown that by adding two new genes, glycolate dehydrogenase and malate synthase, to model plants’ pathways, they could improve photosynthetic efficiency…These energy savings drove growth gains in the model crop…
“Another important feature of this study was the demonstration that our genetic engineering of photosynthesis that produced these yield increases had no impact on the nutritional quality of the potato,” said Don Ort, Robert Emerson Professor of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences and Deputy Director of the RIPE project.
Only problem is that because of folks like Kennedy, people don’t eat GMO foods. This is a classic Frankenstein potato.
During the campaign, Trump expressed a desire to “let Kennedy go wild” on health and food policies. This freedom could create substantial regulatory disruptions for American agriculture, particularly concerning pesticide use, GMOs, and labeling — key areas where Kennedy has voiced strong opposition to the scientific consensus. Perspective: RFK Jr. poses a danger to American agriculture | AGDAILY
Wouldn’t surprise me if research funding for genetically modified crops gets cut by this administration.
This was done by simply increasing the activity of two genes, says Coralie Salesse-Smith at the University of Illinois. The finding should lead to the creation of new varieties whose yields go up as CO2 levels continue to rise.
Franken wheat has a much higher level of gluten than natural wheat which had a tolerable level of gluten. Side effects! Ancient cultured learned to combine foods to make eating more healthy, like rice and black beans which in Cuba is called Moors and Christians.
IIRC, there is no GMO wheat on the market in the US at this time.
In October 2020, Argentina approved the world’s first genetically engineered wheat for cultivation and consumption. Production expanded dramatically in 2021, and will continue to expand in 2022, after Argentina received regulatory approval in late 2021 for exports to Brazil, a major consumer of Argentina’s wheat.
The lessons from Argentina’s experience are important as other countries decide whether they want to follow suit. Argentina’s genetically engineered, drought-tolerant wheat — named HB4 — could have large environmental benefits, but other countries’ choices will determine their scale.
Argentina is increasingly struggling with drought and saw an opportunity for HB4 wheat to help stabilize production and revenue.