Scientists Develop Gene-Edited Ultra-Low Asparagine Wheat

Ultra-low asparagine wheat developed using precision gene editing

Scientists at Rothamsted Research have successfully developed wheat with dramatically reduced levels of asparagine, without affecting yield, using gene editing techniques, offering a promising route to safer food production and improved regulatory compliance. Results from two years of field trials demonstrate that wheat produced using CRISPR genome editing can significantly lower concentrations of free asparagine—an amino acid that converts into…

CRISPR-Edited Wheat Leads to Reduced Acrylamide Without Yield Loss

Rothamsted Research scientists have developed gene-edited wheat with substantially reduced levels of free asparagine, a precursor to acrylamide. Biscuits produced from gene-edited wheat showed a 93 percent reduction in acrylamide compared to controls.

Gene editing gathers momentum with field trials and new approval

Field trials of a gene-edited barley crop designed to improve livestock feed efficiency and cut methane emissions are now under way on farms in England.

Field Trials and Baking Studies of Ultra-Low Asparagine, Genome Edited (CRISPR/Cas9) and Mutant (TILLING) Wheat

Field trials were conducted of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cv. Cadenza in which asparagine synthetase gene, TaASN2, had been knocked out, either on its own or together with a partial knockout of the related gene, TaASN1, using CRISPR/Cas9. Chemical mutagenesis (TILLING) TaASN2 nulls in the Claire background were also included. The main aim was to assess the free asparagine content of the grain and the conversion of free asparagine to acrylamide, a

Rothamsted Barley Becomes First Crop Cleared Under UK Precision-Breeding Rules

A gene-edited barley developed by scientists at Rothamsted Research has become the first crop to receive a Precision Bred Organism (PBO) marketing notice confirmation under the UK’s new precision-breeding regulatory framework. This confirmation means the barley qualifies as a precision-bred organism under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025. It can now move forward…