Genome editing technologies have revolutionized the production of microorganisms, plants, and animals with phenotypes of interest to agriculture. Editing previously sequenced genomes allows for the punctual, discreet, precise, and accurate alteration of DNA for genetic analysis, genotyping, and phenotyping, as well as the production of edited organisms for academic and industrial purposes, among many other objectives. In this context, genome editing technologies have been causing a revolution in Brazilian agriculture. Thanks to the publication of Normative Resolution No. 16 (in Portuguese Resolução Normativa No. 16-RN16) in 2018, Brazilian regulatory authorities have adapted to the new genetic manipulation technologies available to the scientific community. This review aims to describe the effects of updates to the regulatory framework for edited organisms in Brazil and to point out their impacts on research and development of emerging technologies in the Brazilian agricultural sector. The implementation of RN16 rationalized the regulatory aspects regarding the production, manipulation, exploration and commercial release of edited organisms and led to the faster, cheaper and safer obtaining of edited technologies, which are more productive and better adapted to different environmental conditions in Brazil.

Fighting cancer remains one of the greatest challenges for science in the 21st century. Advances in immunotherapy against different types of cancer have greatly contributed to the treatment, remission, and cure of patients. In this context, knowledge of epigenetic phenomena, their relationship with tumor cells and how the immune system can be epigenetically modulated represent some of the greatest advances in the development of anticancer therapies. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field that studies how environmental factors can affect gene expression without altering DNA sequence. Epigenomic changes include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA regulation, which impact cellular function. Epigenetics has shown promise in developing cancer therapies, such as immunotherapy, which aims to stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. For example, PD-1 and PD-L1 are biomarkers that regulate the immune response to cancer cells and recent studies have shown that epigenetic modifications can affect their expression, potentially influencing the efficacy of immunotherapy. New therapies targeting epigenetic modifications, such as histone deacetylases and DNA methyltransferases, are being developed for cancer treatment, and some have shown promise in preclinical studies and clinical trials. With growing understanding of epigenetic regulation, we can expect more personalized and effective cancer immunotherapies in the future. This review highlights key advances in the use of epigenetic and epigenomic tools and modern immuno-oncology strategies to treat several types of tumors.

The modification of plant genomes is an essential step towards the development of new crops to increase food production. Initially, genome modification relied on conventional plant breeding and the introduction of genetic traits using crossing techniques to generate new varieties. In the 1980s, trans and cis modification allowed the incorporation of specific traits into plant genomes, largely due to the development of DNA delivery systems such as Agrobacterium and biolistics. This technological breakthrough has boosted a second generation of genetically modified crops that have had a major impact on agriculture. However, the stochastic nature of the DNA delivery systems, with little control over where the genome modification occurred, required regulatory measures to ensure environmental, human, and animal safety, which has hindered the ability and speed to generate new and more adapted varieties. New technological advances have made it possible to increase the precision of genome modifications leading to a third generation of agricultural products. These technological advances rely on enzymes targeting specific genomic regions, making it possible to introduce mutations and new traits into the plant genome. Meganucleases, zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and CRISPR/Cas9 are valuable tools that allow for specific genomic modifications. These tools have made it possible to develop new, safer varieties in a shorter timeframe. In this review, we explore the functional mechanisms of these new breeding tools, their advantages and drawbacks, and their potential to explore metabolic engineering and synthetic biology in plants.

Industrial bio-inputs can improve commodity farming by replacing the use of agrochemicals. To assess the potential of agricultural bio-inputs to contribute to Brazil’s agro-industrial growth, we analyzed the market share held by domestic companies and the local market created by farmers who adopt bio-inputs. The results revealed that Brazilian companies accounted for 82.8% of the 221 companies with agricultural bio-inputs registered in Brazil by 2024. These domestic companies used technologies available to local investors and developed in collaboration with public innovation centers. Adoption levels among interviewed farmers ranged from 41.7% for biosolubilizers to 88.9% for bionematicides, revealing a large domestic market potential for bio-inputs in Brazil. We conclude that industrial agricultural bio-inputs represent an area of opportunity for Brazilian neo-industrialization based on local competitive advantages, low entry barriers, and domestic and foreign investments that can benefit from the local market for bio-inputs.