Past Discussions 2013

Dear All,

Thank you for your participation and feedback. This discussion is now closed. We will post a summary of the main points raised in a few days.

The next round of discussion will start on the 14th July, as per the calendar of activities (http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_detection/calendar.shtml) where the discussion will be on "Emerging techniques for the detection of LMOs" and "Challenges and progress in the detection of LMOs unintentionally released into the environment and unauthorized LMOs"

Best regards,
The Secretariat

Dear Participants of the Laboratory Network,

Thank you for your participation in this forum on Specificity, sensitivity and costs of established methods for LMO detection.

The interventions that were made to this forum indicated that laboratories employ a wide variety of methodologies using DNA and protein based assays in their work detecting LMOs, using both commercially available kits and in-house designed methodologies to satisfy the detection requirements within their national frameworks. They also indicated that laboratories are active in carrying out research projects to locally develop innovative and cost effective methodologies in the detection of LMOs. Laboratories do face limitations in their work as a result of the costs associated with carrying out analyses.

A few points for further consideration,  and possibly for further discussion in the workshop, is how these methodologies are integrated within the workflow followed by each laboratory in order to maximise the quality and amount of information obtained from the analysis of the samples while ensuring that costs remain low. Furthermore what strategies are laboratories using in an attempt to detect adventitious LMOs? Respondents indicated that the cost of trying to detect such events are prohibitive, however, as will be discussed in the upcoming forum, unintentional and unauthorised LMO detection is a challenge that laboratories do face and an effective strategy needs to be developed to tackle this issue.

We would like to thank everyone for their contributions and we look forward to your participation in the next round of discussions staring on the 14th July on the topics of “Emerging techniques for the detection of LMOs” and “Challenges and progress in the detection of LMOs unintentionally released into the environment and unauthorized LMOs”.

Best regards,
Dina