Russia is spending $1.7 billion to support gene-editing technology to develop gene-editing crops and animal varieties.

In recent years, the gene editing technology represented by CRISPR-Cas9 has brought revolutionary changes in life medicine, agriculture and other fields, and people have high hopes for new technologies such as gene-editing food and gene therapy, hoping that they can overcome the disease, and provide a steady stream of diversified food for human beings.
the British nature magazine website reported on the 14th, as China and the United States first entered the market, the relevant research is in full swing, Russia has also opened the door to gene editing technology.
russia has launched a federal program that will cost 111 billion rubles ($1.7 billion) to develop 10 new gene-editing crops and animal varieties by 2020 and another 20 by 2027.
many Russian scientists welcomed the government's move as a boost to research in Russian genetics and a reduction in dependence on imported food, but some are concerned about whether the ambitious plan will go ahead as expected.
funded a huge investment in gene editing technology On July 1, 2016, the Federal Council of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament approved a bill banning the cultivation of genetically modified plants and the raising of genetically modified animals in Russia, in addition to scientific research purposes.
also prohibits the import of genetically modified goods in view of their impact on humans and the environment.
it is unknown whether gene-editing organisms are subject to the ban.
now, the new plan shows that Russia is embracing gene-editing technology.
an anonymous source at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), some researchers have lost their research momentum because of the uncertainty of the 2016 ban, and the new plan is a "heart-stopping pill" for them. Alexei Kochetov, director of the Siberian division of the
RAS Institute of Cytology and Genetics, also welcomed the plan.
noted that genetic research in Russia has been "underfunded" for decades.
2017, 1.11 percent of Russia's gross domestic product will be spent on research, compared with 2.13 percent in China and 2.79 percent in the United States.
it is unclear whether the 111 billion rubles are included in the existing federal civil science budget or additional budgets.
2018, Russia's civil science budget is 364 billion rubles, of which 22 billion rubles will be spent on genetic research.
the fate of gene editing and genetically modified organisms is very different from what is commonly referred to as the need to transfer to exogenous genetic material, gene editing breeding using techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 to edit plant genes to design plants free of exogenous DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
Russia's 2016 law describes genetically modified organisms as genetically modified organisms that are "not produced by natural processes", while the new plan argues that gene editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 are the same as traditional breeding methods.
the new plan reflects a similar stance to the U.S. agricultural sector.
On March 28 last year, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue issued a statement saying that under the Department of Agriculture's biotechnology regulations, the department does not and does not plan to regulate crops grown using these new technologies as long as they do not use plant pests.
said at the time that new technologies such as gene editing expanded a pool of plant breeding tools that could grow new traits of crops faster and more accurately, potentially saving years or even decades in breeding.
the current world's regulatory attitude towards gene-editing crops is not consistent, some places to identify gene-edited crops as genetically modified crops.
, for example, in July 2018, the European Union's highest court ruled that gene-editing crops follow the same strict rules as traditional genetically modified organisms, though many EU scientists believe this could hamper research.
joining the event to reduce dependence on molecular geneticists Konstantin Severinofer, who is involved in the development of the latest Russian policy, told Nature that the new plan is important to keep Russia out of the world's "CRISPR event" and that the other goal is to make Russia less dependent on imported crops.
the law prioritizes four crops: barley, beet, wheat and potatoes. russia is the world's largest producer of barley and a major producer of three other crops, according to the
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
now, scientists have begun developing gene-edited versions of the four crops.
RAS scientists are developing insect-resistant potato and beet varieties, while gene editing research aimed at making barley and wheat easier to process and more nutritious is being conducted at the Vavilov Plant Industry Institute and the RAS Institute of Cytology and Genetics.
whether Russian scientists will be able to meet the ambitious goals of the plan remains to be seen.
the anonymous source questioning the timetable for the plan: "I believe the government will spend money and say it has been a great success, but I am not sure there will be any new breeds next year or later."
" Kochetov said the plan's objectives were realistic.
"There is no doubt that this research program will bring promising products."
" he said, private companies could speed up funding for gene editing research because of clearer laws.
but he believes there is still some legal uncertainty.
he also stressed that any organisms developed by the program would need to be further regulated before they could enter the market. Li Yi, a plant scientist at the Russian Rehabilitation University in
, said the launch of the program was a "major step" for Russia and the world, which could prompt China to invest more in gene editing and boost U.S. enthusiasm for such technology.
Source: Science Daily.