19/November/21

 

In another of a long line of studies showing unintended effects of gene editing, the CRISPR-Cas gene editing tool has been found to cause the loss of whole chromosomes and genomic instability in mouse embryos. The finding is yet another nail in the coffin for human germline (heritable) gene editing with CRISPR, though there are plenty of people who persist in advocating it. The study comes hot on the heels of another, which found that editing human cells with CRISPR caused chromothripsis, an extremely damaging form of genomic rearrangement that results from the shattering of individual chromosomes and the subsequent rejoining of the pieces in a haphazard order. GMWatch

 

 

A firm marketing genetically modified salmon in Canada confirmed it was selling fish from its Prince Edward Island facility, as opponents to GM food offered a reward for any leads on where the fish could be found. AquaBounty’s salmon represent the first GM fish to be harvested and sold in Canada. Mark Butler, with the conservation charity Nature Canada, said his group has launched a campaign with Quebec-based Vigilance OGM, offering a reward of $500 for any information about the location of AquaBounty’s salmon. The Globe and Mail