Genetic engineering

Scientists have identified new gene modifications that can make tomatoes and eggplants grow bigger, which could help boost yields in developing countries.

The quest to resurrect the woolly mammoth has taken another step forward, with the creation of the Colossal Woolly Mouse. The lab-made rodents have been genetically altered to possess key physical traits of the extinct beasts – in fur and fat, at least.

Transplanting insulin-producing cells along with engineered blood-vessel-forming cells has successfully reversed type 1 diabetes in a new preclinical study. With further testing, the novel approach could one day cure the as-yet incurable condition.

Researchers have created a way to guide and control the development of stem cells into specific tissues and organs, opening the door to developing a means of one day tackling complex diseases like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

Working with a line of colon cancer cells, Korean researchers figured out a way to throw a few genetic switches to cause the cells to revert back to a healthy state. The technique could have major implications in the way we approach cancer treatment.

Beneficial bacteria occupy specific regions in the gut, contributing to our health via the microbiome. A new study has identified the genes that good bacteria use to colonize these regions, opening the door to creating engineered probiotics.

A new kind of cancer gene therapy can be remotely activated at a specific part of the body. The team developed a version of CRISPR that responds to ultrasound, and demonstrated how it can be used to clear cancer in mice.

Not only have researchers identified how a common cellular protein affects aging, but they’ve tweaked the genes that produce it in fruit flies, extending healthy lifespan by 25% to 30%. The discovery opens the door to healthier aging in humans.

Most of us don’t eat as much fruit and veggies as we know we should, but that goal might now be a bit more achievable. Scientists in Spain have engineered a new “Golden Lettuce” with 30 times more nutrients than the regular green stuff.

Everybody loves roses, but we'd probably love them even more if they didn't have those sharp thorns. Well, scientists have found a way of growing thornless roses, and their findings could lead to easier-to-harvest crops.

There could soon be a non-toxic, longer-lasting and less-smelly alternative to DEET for repelling mosquitos. Scientists have created genetically engineered human skin bacteria that are unappealing to the irritating and disease-spreading insects.

"We can feed black soldier flies straight, dirty trash," says a team that's working to turn insects into landfill-clearing biomanufacturing machines that turn regular, dangerous or contaminated garbage into a range of high-value products.