NBTs bring about changes that happen in nature - only faster and targeted better.
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Foto credits: © Michael Pezzei & Patrick Schwienbacher
Are New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) the key to solving agriculture’s toughest challenges, from disease resistance to climate change?
*from ipoma Issue 03, “Genetic Evolution”, Ex Libris 2024
For those who’d rather listen, this article is also available as an audio version. You may tune in on Spotify and explore how CRISPR/Cas is revolutionizing apple breeding on the go.
NBTs bring about changes that happen in nature - only faster and targeted better.
We are attempting to turn off genes that make apples susceptible to disease.
A faster, more precise approach to apple breeding
Genetic scissors revolutionizing agriculture
An example: in Zurich, Dr. Giovanni Broggini is testing CRISPR/Cas to improve Gala apples’ resistance to fire blight by deactivating specific susceptibility genes.
| Term | Definition |
| Cisgenesis | If a plant is cisgenically modified, only genes from plants of the same species are inserted, either using conventional genetic engineering methods or NBTs. They must come from a biologically compatible species, e.g., from a wild apple whose gene is transferred into a variety of the domestic apple. If an apple receives a gene from a tomato, it is no longer a cisgenic plant. |
| CRISPR/Cas | An enzyme produced by bacteria that can make cuts at specific points in DNA, also known as “genetic scissors.” It can be used either to switch off individual genes such as a susceptibility gene that makes plants more susceptible to certain diseases, or to insert specific genes such as a gene from a related apple variety to make the apple more resistant to certain fungi without changing it significantly in any other way. |
| Genome Editing | Generic term for all technological methods used to edit the genome without adding foreign genes. These include NBTs such as CRISPR/Cas. |
| New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) | New methods of genetic engineering. The best known is CRISPR/Cas, which involves intervening in specific parts of DNA in exactly the same way as spontaneous mutations that occur in nature. This distinguishes NBTs from conventional genetic engineering methods (transgenesis). The EU is therefore currently leaning towards not equating NBTs with conventional GMO methods. |
| Precautionary principle | This principle sets the direction for legislation on genetic engineering in Europe. It not only looks at the end product but also at the processes that led to the creation of the product. |
| Principle of substantial equivalence | Unlike the precautionary principle, this principle primarily focuses on the end product, the processes that led to its creation being inconsequential. This principle assumes that a newly developed food is just as safe as an existing one if it has the same composition. The principle is widely applied in places such as North and South America. |
| Transgenesis | Conventional genetic engineering method. Foreign genes are transferred from one organism to another, e.g., to a plant. Today, the term is often used as a synonym for all conventional genetic engineering methods. Transgenically modified plant species authorized for cultivation so far include soy, maize, cotton, and rapeseed. This method is often rejected by consumers, especially in Europe, where transgenic plants – genetically modified organisms, or GMOs for short – must be labeled as such. |
NBTs and GMO Legislation: Where does CRISPR/Cas stand?
Consumer acceptance and risk assessment
Will NBTs revolutionize apple breeding in Europe?
