Science News Roundup: The pendant is 20,000 years old. Ancient DNA shows who wore it; Dished up by 3D printers, a new kind of fish to fry and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

China approves safety of first gene-edited crop

China has approved the safety of a gene-edited soybean, its first approval of the technology in a crop, as the country increasingly looks to science to boost food production. The soybean, developed by privately owned Shandong Shunfeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd, has two modified genes, significantly raising the level of healthy fat oleic acid in the plant.

Analysis-SpaceX has few alternatives if lawsuit upends Musk's Texas launch plans

Elon Musk-led SpaceX has few alternative options for test-launching its giant Starship spacecraft in the near term if a newly-filed lawsuit disrupts the breakneck speed of development at its remote Texas launch site, legal and industry experts say. Conservation groups sued the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday for approving SpaceX's rocket operations without conducting a deeper review of its environmental impact on land surrounding the Boca Chica, Texas, launchpad.

With a gulp and burp, a bloated star swallows a Jupiter-sized planet

In a glimpse of the dismal fate awaiting Earth, scientists for the first time have observed a star, bloated in its old age, swallowing a Jupiter-like planet, then expelling some material into space in an energetic belch. Researchers said on Wednesday the star was in the early stages of what is called the red giant phase late in its lifespan as it depleted hydrogen fuel in its core and its dimensions began to expand. As the star grew, its surface reached the orbit of the doomed planet, with mayhem ensuing.

The pendant is 20,000 years old. Ancient DNA shows who wore it

Inside a Siberian cave that has been an archeological treasure trove, an elk's canine tooth - pierced to become a pendant - was unearthed by scientists with care to avoid contaminating this intriguing artifact made roughly 20,000 years ago. The pristine collection of the pendant from Denisova Cave paid dividends. Scientists on Wednesday said a new method for extracting ancient DNA identified the object's long-ago owner - a Stone Age woman closely related to a population of hunter-gatherers known to have lived in a part of Siberia east of the cave site in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Russia.

Dished up by 3D printers, a new kind of fish to fry

Forget your hook, line and sinker. An Israeli foodtech company says it has 3D printed the first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using animal cells cultivated and grown in a laboratory. Lab-grown beef and chicken have drawn attention as a way to sidestep the environmental toll of farming and tackle concerns over animal welfare, but few companies have forayed into seafood.

(With inputs from agencies.)