genome editing

The German farmers' association Bauernstimme has filed a direct action at the European Court against the EU's new genetic engineering regulation (NGT), which loosens rules for certain gene-edited crops. The group argues the law undermines labelling and traceability requirements for agriculture. The case adds to growing resistance from farming and environmental organisations to the EU's deregulation of new genomic techniques.

A study published in Nature reports lipid nanoparticles engineered to carry large RNA payloads and target specific tissues, delivering stronger genome editing results in living organisms. The work addresses a key bottleneck in delivering bulky gene-editing RNA payloads safely to target organs. Researchers say the approach could broaden therapeutic applications of in vivo gene editing, though clinical translation remains ahead.

A Nature publication describes a rational framework for choosing between SpCas9 and variant-derived adenine base editors when editing the human genome. The work aims to help researchers match editor choice to specific target sites and desired edits, improving precision in gene-editing applications. The paper is being circulated among readers following advances in CRISPR-based genome editing tools.