Researchers from the Belgian Federal Institute Sciensano, as part of the DARWIN project, have developed a proof-of-concept for next generation detection methods of genome-edited organisms.
Researchers from the Belgian Federal Institute Sciensano, as part of the DARWIN project, have developed a proof-of-concept for next generation detection methods of genome-edited organisms.
The article «Genetic fingerprints derived from genome database mining allow accurate identification of genome-edited rice in the food chain via targeted high-throughput sequencing», published in the journal Food Research International, represents a significant advancement in the unambiguous detection of genome-edited organisms modified by New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).
Results from this study demonstrate that it is possible to detect and identify a specific genome-edited line even at very low levels (0.9% and 0.1%).
This shows that genome-edited organisms produced through gene editing, including those with very subtle genetic modifications (NGT products), can in principle be uniquely identified. Provided that prior genomic information on the genome-edited organism is available, detection is technically feasible.
«While this approach holds great promise as a pioneering strategy, its broader application is not without challenges», explains Nancy Roosens, Head of Division, Transversal Activity in Applied Genomics at Sciensano, and author of the study.
