Dear Subscribers,
Here is Update 4-2021 of FAO-BiotechNews. It is the 4th and final Update from us for this year, so we would like to take this occasion to thank you all for your support and feedback throughout the year and to wish you a very successful and healthy year 2022.
As usual, we welcome your feedback.
With best wishes
John Ruane
The Coordinator of FAO-BiotechNews, 20-12-2021
FAO Research and Extension Unit
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
E-mail address: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
FAO Biotechnology website: http://www.fao.org/biotech/ (in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian)
*** NEWS *** (http://www.fao.org/biotech/biotech-news/en/)
1) Report of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture's 18th Regular Session
The 18th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) took place from 27 September to 1 October 2021 in a virtual format. For the agenda item on "Review of the work on biotechnologies for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture", the CGRFA considered a working document on "Biotechnologies for the sustainable use and conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture" (document number CGRFA-18/21/6) and took note of an information document on "Recent developments in biotechnologies relevant to the characterization, sustainable use and conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture" (CGRFA-18/21/6/Inf.1). For the agenda item on "'Digital sequence information' on genetic resources for food and agriculture", the CGRFA considered a working document on "Digital sequence information on genetic resources for food and agriculture: Innovation opportunities, challenges and implications" (CGRFA-18/21/5). The report and working documents of the meeting (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) are available at https://www.fao.org/cgrfa/meetings/detail/en/c/1414719/. The CGRFA is an intergovernmental body established by the FAO Conference in 1983, whose Members include 178 countries and the European Union. It provides the only permanent forum for governments to specifically discuss and negotiate matters relevant to biological diversity for food and agriculture, including all plant, animal, forest, aquatic, micro-organism and invertebrate genetic resources for food and agriculture. It normally holds one regular session each biennium. Contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
2) FAO Global Seed Conference
On 4-5 November 2021, FAO organised the "Global conference on green development of seed industries". The virtual event provided a neutral forum for FAO Members, partners, industry and opinion leaders, and other stakeholders to engage in focused dialogues on how best to make quality seeds of preferred productive, nutritious and resilient crop varieties available to farmers. The conference included a plenary session with keynote addresses, a high-level ministerial segment and eight parallel sessions, with two sessions dedicated to each of the following four themes: advanced technologies, conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, crop varietal development and adoption, and seed systems. For the theme of advanced technologies, the parallel sessions focused on 'Modern plant breeding technologies' and 'Emerging biotechnologies and informatics technologies'. All information about the conference, including the programme, FAQs and webcasts of all the sessions, is available at https://www.fao.org/events/detail/global-conference-on-green-development-of-seed-industries/en. Contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for further information.
3) Science Days for the UN Food Systems Summit
As part of the build up to the UN Food Systems Summit on 23 September 2021, the Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit organized the "Science Days for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021", facilitated and hosted by FAO on 8-9 July, where more than 2,000 participants from research, policy, civil society and industry came together to examine how to unlock the full potential of science, technology and innovation to transform food systems. The role of agricultural biotechnologies was discussed at the Science Days, including during a session dedicated to 'bio-science innovation', encompassing genome editing, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, microbiomes, alternative protein sources, alternative sources for essential micronutrients, cell factories and more. See the programme, recordings and report at https://sc-fss2021.org/events/sciencedays/program/ or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
4) Revised and updated Arabic dictionary of biotechnological terms in food and agriculture
In 2005, the FAO "Glossary of biotechnology for food and agriculture", published in 2001, was translated into Arabic in a co-publishing partnership with the United Arab Emirates University. With the fast advances in biotechnology research over the past two decades, the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa realised there was an urgent need to revise and update this document and so entrusted the Arab Society for Plant Protection to lead the work. The revised and updated "Dictionary of biotechnological terms in food and agriculture" has just been published. The dictionary now contains 6600 terms, compared to 3200 in the earlier version, and is organized alphabetically in two sections, Arabic-English and English-Arabic, allowing the reader to easily find the relevant description of the Arabic or English terms. See https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb4260b or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
5) Launch of the new Biosafety Clearing-House platform
On 29 November 2021, the new Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) platform was launched. The BCH is a mechanism established in Article 20 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to facilitate the exchange of information on living modified organisms (LMOs) and to assist Parties in complying with their obligations under the Protocol. The BCH functions as a central information marketplace where the providers and users interact and exchange information on biosafety. All interested users can freely search and retrieve information through the BCH website. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity that provides international rules that seek to ensure an adequate level of protection to biodiversity and human health, focusing on transboundary movements of LMOs. See https://bch.cbd.int/ or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
6) Genetic uniqueness of Jaffna sheep in Sri Lanka
The Animal Production and Health Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture helped the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka to initiate a study on Jaffna sheep, an endangered indigenous breed in Sri Lanka. The scope of the study was to assess the genetic diversity of the Jaffna sheep, to estimate genetic relationships between Jaffna local and South Indian sheep breeds, to assess population structure and genetic admixture in Jaffna local sheep, and to evaluate phylogenetic evolution and phylogeography of Jaffna local sheep using short tandem repeat markers and mitochondrial DNA control regions. The results of this study showed that Jaffna local sheep have low genetic diversity and a consequent high inbreeding coefficient compared to other major South Indian breeds. They also confirmed that little gene flow exists between South Indian sheep and the Jaffna local population. Taken together, these results highlight the genetic uniqueness of the breed and the urgency to implement a selective breeding programme in the native tract to prevent genetic dilution and foster conservation of this important indigenous genetic resource of Sri Lanka. This and many other stories are included in the July 2021 newsletter from the Animal Production & Health Section of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre. The 36-page newsletter gives an overview of their past and upcoming events, ongoing projects and publications and is issued twice a year. See https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Newsletters/aph-74.pdf or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
7) Advances in science and risk assessment tools for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus associated with seafood
Globally, the bacterial species Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus represent important human pathogens associated with the consumption of seafood. In response to the requests for scientific advice from the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, risk assessments for the pathogens Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and guidance on methods for the detection of Vibrio species with seafood have been conducted and published previously by the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA). To provide an update on the state-of-the-art advice regarding risk assessment for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in seafood, a JEMRA expert meeting was convened. Several critical developments in the last decade were noted by the expert working group: 1) The emergence of highly pathogenic strains 2) In response to climate change, there has been a significant geographical spread regarding when and where these seafood-associated Vibrio infections are reported 3) Demographic considerations are very important 4) A range of new approaches for best practice and 5) A range of new methods, such as those utilising genomics and satellite imagery. The report of the expert meeting has just been published, entitled "Advances in science and risk assessment tools for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus associated with seafood". See https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb5834en or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
8) Paving the way to bananas resistant to Fusarium oxysporum TR4
The Plant Breeding and Genetics Section (PGS) of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture established a mutation breeding programme for the development of Cavendish bananas resistant to the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum, a destructive pathogen that damages the roots of banana plants. In the 1990s, a new strain of the fungus appeared in Southeast Asia called TR4 which caused enormous damage to banana cultivations. TR4 poses considerable risks not only to the banana industry but also to the food security of populations in many producing countries. Spores of the fungus can remain active in the soil for more than ten years and the disease can easily spread among other plantations. Recently TR4 was reported in Latin America. In the mutation breeding programme, a large mutant population of the Cavendish banana cultivar Grande Naine was produced and screened for resistance to TR4. Eight banana mutants showed no disease symptoms after artificial inoculation, paving the way to the development of TR4 resistant bananas. More information on this project is provided in the latest issue (January 2022) of the PGS Newsletter. The newsletter gives an overview of their past and upcoming events, ongoing projects and publications and is issued twice a year. See https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Newsletters/pbg-48.pdf or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
9) Diagnostic test validation science
Issue 40 (1) of the periodical Scientific and Technical Review, published by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), is dedicated to 'Diagnostic test validation science', which is a key element in the effective detection and control of infectious animal diseases. The primary goal of this issue is to provide an up-to-date compilation of the relevant standards (OIE and non-OIE), scientific approaches and guidance documents for all stages of diagnostic test validation and proficiency testing, including design, analysis as well as clear, complete and transparent reporting of validation studies in the peer-reviewed literature. See https://www.oie.int/en/what-we-do/publications/scientific-and-technical-review/#ui-id-4 or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
10) OECD Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology
The OECD Working Party on the Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology (WP-HROB) aims to assist countries in evaluating the potential risks of genetically engineered organisms, foster communication and mutual understanding of relevant regulations in countries and facilitate harmonisation in environmental risk/safety assessment of organisms produced through modern biotechnology. The 35th meeting of the WP-HROB took place online on 1-3 March 2021. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently published a 60-page information document entitled "Developments in delegations on biosafety issues, April 2020 - March 2021", compiling elements provided by delegations at the 35th WP-HROB meeting, aiming to summarise relevant information on activities related to biosafety issues since the previous meeting (March 2020) at the international level, by collating individual contributions from OECD Members, partner countries and observer organisations participating in the work. More information on the work of the WP-HROB can be found in the latest OECD Biotechnology Update (December 2021). The 33-page newsletter, issued twice a year, gives an overview of past and upcoming events, ongoing projects and publications and provides up-to-date information on the activities related to biotechnologies or the life sciences at the OECD. See https://www.oecd.org/chemicalsafety/biotrack/biotech-update-issue-40-december-2021.pdf or contact [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> for more information.
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