Eco-vandals target gene-edited Chardonnay in Italy

On the night of February 12-13, unknown vandals broke into a small experimental vineyard at the University of Verona in northern Italy to uproot Chardonnay vines that had been gene-edited to resist a fungal infection. Last September, the launch of this field trial was celebrated by researchers, producers, and prominent politicians—including Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida—because it was a point of pride for the country (the first field with gene-edited vines in Europe) and a step toward healthier, more sustainable viticulture, less reliant on fungicides. Anti-science belligerence strikes again: two experimental fields have been launched in Italy, and both have been attacked.

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CRISPR Chardonnay – Italy Doubles Up

The University of Verona’s edited vines are already in the field, and soon it could be the turn of the Edmund Mach Foundation and CREA-CNR. Once again, the focus is on Chardonnay, edited to resist downy mildew (with a double knock-out approach) or powdery mildew. I spoke with the key figures of this new chapter in Italian research: Mario Pezzotti, Sara Zenoni, Umberto Salvagnin, Riccardo Velasco, and Vittoria Brambilla. Returning to write for Nature Biotechnology is a joy for me, especially because this time, Italy is leading the way in innovation rather than holding it back, as in the past. Prosit!