Share U.K. rules on gene editing are expected to be less strict than those for transgenic crops like this iron-rich wheat the John Innes Center is testing. JOHN INNES CENTRE/FLICKR U.K. set to loosen rules for gene-edited crops and animals May. 26, 2021 , 2:30 PM When Boris Johnson became prime minister of the United Kingdom in 2019, he pledged to “liberate the U.K.’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti–genetic modification rules.” The country had to hew to strict European biotech regulations until it finalized its divorce from the European Union in January. Next month, the government is widely expected to follow through on Johnson’s promise by making it easier to test and commercialize some genetically engineered crops and livestock.