TY - JOUR
T1 - A comparative evaluation of the regulation of GM crops or products containing dsRNA and suggested improvements to risk assessments
AU - Heinemann, Jack
AU - Agapito-Tenfen, Sarah
AU - Carman, Judith
PY - 2013/5
Y1 - 2013/5
N2 - Changing the nature, kind and quantity of particular regulatory-RNA molecules through genetic engineering can create biosafety risks. While some genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are intended to produce new regulatory-RNA molecules, these may also arise in other GMOs not intended to express them. To characterise, assess and then mitigate the potential adverse effects arising from changes to RNA requires changing current approaches to food or environmental risk assessments of GMOs. We document risk assessment advice offered to government regulators in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil during official risk evaluations of GM plants for use as human food or for release into the environment (whether for field trials or commercial release), how the regulator considered those risks, and what that experience teaches us about the GMO risk assessment framework. We also suggest improvements to the process.
AB - Changing the nature, kind and quantity of particular regulatory-RNA molecules through genetic engineering can create biosafety risks. While some genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are intended to produce new regulatory-RNA molecules, these may also arise in other GMOs not intended to express them. To characterise, assess and then mitigate the potential adverse effects arising from changes to RNA requires changing current approaches to food or environmental risk assessments of GMOs. We document risk assessment advice offered to government regulators in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil during official risk evaluations of GM plants for use as human food or for release into the environment (whether for field trials or commercial release), how the regulator considered those risks, and what that experience teaches us about the GMO risk assessment framework. We also suggest improvements to the process.
KW - Biosafety
KW - DsRNA
KW - Gene silencing
KW - Genetically modified organisms
KW - RNAi
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875603119&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2013.02.010
DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2013.02.010
M3 - Article
SN - 0160-4120
VL - 55
SP - 43
EP - 55
JO - Environment International
JF - Environment International
ER -