b'nologies in Italy are generally in favour of using them, they are looking for innovation and welcome the arrival of rice blast-resist-ant varieties. When the rice blast was getting worse, we received more support for our pro-ject especially from farmers. We even got support from the countrys powerful trade unions. Along with scientists, they asked the politicians to allow field trials, since our approach used gene editing, and not GMOs.SWE: THE FIRST FIELD TRIAL WAS DESTROYED IN JUNE. CAN YOU SHARE WHAT HAPPENED?VB: We planted this first field trial of gene-edited rice in Italy on the 13 May 2024, and as you mentioned, this field was destroyed shortly after, on 21 June. Of course, initially, we were really disap-pointed by this act of vandalism against our experiment. But then we got hundreds of messages of solidarity from people and companies. This was for us the confirma-tion that we were going in the right direc-tion: Most of the people were appreciating what scientists were doing to improve agri-culture and make it more sustainable. The plants were cut but not completely killed and could survive. So, the nice thing isAfter the destruction of the trial with gene-edited rice plants by vandals, Brambilla was able to rescue about we could propagate the seed during this100 of the 400 plants. Source: Vittoria Brambillaseason and now we have collected them and safely stored, and we will use them next year in a new field trial.SWE: HOW HAS THIS VANDALISM IMPACTED YOUR RESEARCH, AND HOW DID IT IMPACT THE VIEW ON GENE-EDITING IN ITALY? A new regulation for gene-edited plants VB: The vandalism delayed the collection of the research data, and we will need to waitneeds to be written in Europe in the future, until next year, but the good thing is that it brought attention to gene editing technol- hopefully not too far in the future.ogies in agriculture in Italy. This resulted in more support from the politicians and the public. We received a lot of solidarity from the Ministry of Agriculture in Italy.SWE: LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT COULD BE A REALISTIC TIME PATH TOWARDS COMMERCIALIZATION OF RICE VARI- SWE: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THEmarket in Europe like conventional plants. ETIES WITH THIS FUNGAL RESISTANCEREGULATORY ENVIRONMENT FORBut plants that are produced by targeted IN EUROPE? GENE-EDITED RESEARCH IN EUROPE?mutagenesis or by gene editing, are consid-VB: I cannot predict which will be the pathWHERE CAN IT BE IMPROVED? ered GMOs. Also, gene-edited plants are for this type of plant to reach the market.VB: As a scientist, I believe that for a prod- often not distinguishable from plants that This will largely depend on the politicaluct it is more important that a crop is goodhave mutations that have originated sponta-decision that Europe will take in the nearand safe for the consumer and the envi- neously and are also not traceable. For these future. Currently, Europe is possibly oneronment rather than if it was produced byreasons I think that a new regulation for of the places in the world with the mostconventional methods or biotechnologicalgene-edited plants needs to be written in restrictive regulations against gene-editedones. At the moment a plant that is pro- Europe in the future, hopefully not too far plants as they are considered like GMOs.duced by random mutagenesis can go to thein the future. 14ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | NOVEMBER 2024'