Minneapolis - based start - up Calyxt is set to make history by selling oil made from soybeans that were genetically engineered using its proprietary TALEN system . By the late 1990s, he had been part of a small group of biologists trying to move past the first round of GM plants not by adding entire genes, but instead by using cutting enzymes, called nucleases, to precisely sever the DNA chain— The company has already received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration that 14 of the 19 plants it has engineered will not be classed as genetically modified organisms , and therefore not subject to regulation . While some farmers are ready to embrace foods offering improved yield and profit margins , critics have argued that not enough has been done to study the effects of gene - edited crops on the wider economy .
Minneapolis - based start - up Calyxt is set to make history by selling oil made from soybeans that were genetically engineered using its proprietary TALEN system . The company has already received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration that 14 of the 19 plants it has engineered will not be classed as genetically modified organisms , and therefore not subject to regulation . While some farmers are ready to embrace foods offering improved yield and profit margins , critics have argued that not enough has been done to study the effects of gene - edited crops on the wider economy .