Alellyx, which Mr Reinach claims is the only company tweaking sugar-cane DNA, has started field trials of a variety with 80% more sucrose—the raw material for sugar or fuel—than the standard sort.

With so many HIV vaccine clinical trials testing novel products ongoing and planned by a wide variety of investigators, it is time to intensify global collaboration.

The FDA based its decision on a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials involving 11 antiepileptic drugs used for a variety of indications, including bipolar disorder and pain.