A Young Researcher Initiative for Open Dialogue on New Plant Breeding Techniques and the Policy Thereof
We are aiming to provide you with easily understandable information on Plant Breeding, and techniques and technologies used in this field
We are continuously hosting events to exchange perspectives on the future of agriculture, and what role technologies like genetic editing could and should play
Our Objectives
Inform Society
We host open access information so that society can have an informed opinion on the future (technologies) of agriculture.
Stimulate Open Dialogue
We host dialogue sessions to stimulate dialogue on New Plant Breeding Techniques, their policy and implications in agriculture.
Represent Young Researchers
We aim to give a voice to students and young plant researchers on the topic of New Plant Breeding Techniques and their policy.
Influence EU policy
We want to influence the current EU policy to enable the use of New Plant Breeding Techniques in a responsible, future-proof manner.
About Us
The GeneSprout Initiative is an initiative led by young researchers. We are committed to increasing public engagement and awareness about New Plant Breeding Techniques. We aim to be a voice of young plant scientists in the policy-making process in Europe. We define ourselves as the following:
“A Young Researcher Initiative for Open Dialogue on New Plant Breeding Techniques and the Policy Thereof”
Follow us @ Instagram
-
-
CRISPR sweet potato – good for you and the environment! By using CRISPR, researchers at Tuskegee University in Alabama have developed sweet potatoes that are rich in vitamins, resistant to pests, and that still taste completely awesome. Sweet potatoes with yellow and orange flesh are rich in beta-carotene, which the human body can convert into vitamin A. Around the world, 140 million preschool-age children suffer from vitamin A deficiencies. Enjoying potato snacks with more beta-carotene could help combat this issue! Just like us, roundworms, weevils, and other insects very much enjoy snacking on sweet potatoes. With CRISPR, scientists can now develop pest-resistant varieties to help sweet potato growers worldwide, thereby reducing the use of pesticides. Follow the link in bio for more! #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #plantscience #biology #crispr #agriculture #crops #sciencecommunication #scicomm #youngresearchers
-
-
How about some CRISPR lettuce? 🥬 Yarin Livneh – a PhD student at the Hebrew University of Israel – developed nutritionally enriched lettuce using CRISPR. Lettuce contains various nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B, and beta-carotene, but only in limited amounts. By editing a few native lettuce genes, Yarin managed to boost the production of these health-promoting nutrients. According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), adults need to consume 80 mg of vitamin C a day. If you add 10 leaves of nutritionally improved lettuce to your burger that would meet your daily requirements for vitamin C. With CRISPR, plant varieties that contain more nutrients can be developed. Making fruits, veggies, and other crops more nourishing could improve public health – especially since food security isn't something to take for granted. #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #plantscience #biology #crispr #agriculture #crops #sciencecommunication #scicomm #youngresearchers
-
-
India is on a CRISPR journey! The Indian government ruled that gene-edited crops without any foreign DNA will be exempted from the GMO legislation, opening the door to the use of gene-editing techniques – like CRISPR – in plant breeding! To be released as a new plant variety, these crops will require an evaluation just as any other new plant variety in India. Last year, a group of agricultural scientists wrote to the Prime Minister of India asking to ease the regulation for gene-edited crops. They expressed their concern on how urgently needed agricultural progress was being delayed. Now, Indian farmers will finally be able to benefit from cultivating gene-edited crop varieties. #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #plantscience #biology #crispr #agriculture #crops #sciencecommunication #scicomm #youngresearchers
-
-
China's new approval of gene-edited crops boosts research! China released preliminary guidelines for the approval of gene-edited crops. These new guidelines could reduce the time to get a biosafety certificate from six to one to two years. China is ahead of many other nations in setting clear and relatively fast approval guidelines for gene-edited crops. The new guidelines stipulate that only laboratory data and small-scale field trials are needed for gene-edited crops that pose no environmental or food-safety risks. Chinese researchers now want to focus on breeding crops that are valuable to consumers and farmers. Plant varieties that are tastier, pest-resistant, and better adapted to global warming are on the way! #sciencecommunication #scicomm #plantscience #plantbiotechnology #plantbiology #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantroots #plants #nature #biology #science #didyouknow #plantbreeding #breeding #domestication #vegetables #crispr #npbt #ngt #plants #agriculture #agriculturalscience #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #youngresearchers
Meet Aisha So and find out why she joined the GeneSprout Initiative! Aisha hopes to contribute to a dialogue with the general public on new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) in which participants are open, inclusive and reflexive. The word “reflexivity” can be interpreted in different ways. As Stilgoe and co-authors state: "Reflexivity, at the level of institutional practice, means holding a mirror up to one’s own activities, commitments and assumptions, being aware of the limits of knowledge and being mindful that a particular framing of an issue may not be universally held" (Stilgoe et al., 2013 Research Policy). Reflexivity is one of the key concepts in the framework of responsible innovation, which is used by social scientists to make sense of these kinds of societal debates! #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #plantscience #biology #crispr #agriculture #crops #sciencecommunication #scicomm #youngresearchers