The use of genetically modified (GM) crops in agriculture remains contentious, especially in Europe. According to surveys, many people fear that these could have negative effects for human health and ...

Genetic engineering is moving faster than almost any other scientific field. New tools now allow researchers to edit DNA with a level of precision that was once unimaginable. These advances promise ...

Unfortunately, this book can't be printed from the OpenBook. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a PDF. Visit NAP.edu/10766 to get more information about this ...

Biotechnology used in agricultural science greatly affects our lives — from nurturing our bodies and feeding our families to mitigating the effects of climate change. Just one handful of healthy soil ...

Climate change and an accelerated population growth impose a major threat to crop production around the world. In order to ensure food availability and minimise the environmental impact associated ...

Vegetable oils have wide-ranging uses, playing a role in everything from food processing, to perfume production to the manufacture of biofuels. With demand only expected to increase, a team of ...

Excessive fertilizer use can be expensive and bad for the environment, but plants require nutrients to grow. To combat this problem, scientists have been attempting to use genetic engineering to help ...

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is not sustainable. In a review article publishing in the journal Trends in ...

Genetic engineering is moving from the lab bench into clinics, farms, and even family planning decisions, promising to change how we prevent disease, age, and define human potential. The same tools ...

From self-fertilizing crops to more resilient seeds, these projects aim to boost yields and slash emissions. Part of a special report on MIT’s Climate Grand Challenges Initiative Agriculture is both a ...

For two decades, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which advises the Pope on scientific issues, has made wise observations about the importance of molecular techniques for genetic modification and ...