Gene-edited mushroom; Technology detects microorganisms; Robotic kitchen

USDA will not regulate gene-edited mushroom
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has recently notified Yinong Yang, associate professor and plant pathologist at Penn State University, that it will not regulate his genetically modified white button mushrooms developed using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Yang utilized CRISPR-Cas9 to reduce the production of an enzyme (i.e., polyphenol oxidase) that causes browning by 30%. The anti-browning trait reduces the formation of melanin (brown pigment), improvin…