Genetically engineered organisms (GEOs) are biological entities—prokaryotic or eukaryotic—whose genomes have been deliberately modified using recombinant DNA technologies, genome editing tools (e.g., CRISPR-Cas systems, TALENs, ZFNs), or transgenic methods to introduce, delete, or alter specific genetic sequences. This topic encompasses the design, construction, and characterization of modified genomes; vector systems and delivery methods; control of gene expression; and assessment of phenotypic consequences, stability, and off-target effects. It also includes applications in basic research, biotechnology, agriculture, biopharmaceutical production, and synthetic biology, as well as associated biosafety, containment, and regulatory frameworks governing experimental and environmental use.
A new study suggests broad systemic problems play a significant role in disincentivizing corn growers from planting the refuge corn needed to keep pests from becoming resistant to the insect-killing traits in Bt corn. And ...
Agriculture
May 11, 2026
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Engineered microorganisms are widely used in industrial biotechnology and biopharmaceutical applications, including the production of biofuels, sustainable chemicals, and therapeutic compounds. However, concerns remain regarding ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 9, 2026
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Plant scientist Dario Leister and his team are investigating how cyanobacteria adapt to rapidly changing light intensities. This could help optimize photosynthesis in crops. Photosynthesis is one of the most complex processes ...
Molecular & Computational biology
May 8, 2026
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12
A review in Quantitative Biology demonstrates that scientists can now reliably build and combine very large pieces of DNA, making it much easier to redesign microbes such as yeast and bacteria to act as efficient "cell factories." ...
Biotechnology
May 6, 2026
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11
One of life's many mysteries is how it ended up choosing only a set of 20 amino acids to build proteins for its wide catalog of organisms, from single-celled bacteria to behemoth whales. From a chemical standpoint, many of ...
When scientist J. Craig Venter and his team announced in 2010 that they had created the first cell controlled by a fully synthetic genome, it marked a turning point in how scientists think about life.
Biotechnology
May 3, 2026
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97
When a gene is turned on in a cell, it creates a ripple effect along the DNA strand, changing the physical structure of the strand. A new study by MIT researchers, appearing in Science, shows that these ripples can stimulate ...
Biotechnology
Apr 30, 2026
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9
Chicken eggs are already used to harvest helpful proteins called antibodies to protect humans from viruses such as influenza. Now, a breakthrough at the University of Missouri could one day lead to chickens that produce other ...
Biotechnology
Apr 22, 2026
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171
There's a surprising amount of science in a bag of potato chips. Researchers have spent decades developing potatoes for chip makers that can grow in all kinds of climates, avoid diseases and pests, sit in storage for months ...
Agriculture
Apr 22, 2026
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7
Red-leaf lettuce is red due to anthocyanins, a class of polyphenolic pigments widely studied for their antioxidant properties. In plants, anthocyanins are synthesized through enzymatic reactions originating from the amino ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 21, 2026
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