Environmentally applied nucleic acids and proteins for purposes of engineering changes to genes and other genetic material
In this article we summarize the development of vehicles for penetrating living cells, tissue and organisms with nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and proteins that damage or repair DNA. The purpose in doing so is to provide an assessment of the potential for these technologies to unintentionally cause harm to human health or the environment or to be re-tasked with an intention to cause harm. Two new types of biological-molecule-based products are being developed for use in medicine, agriculture and f...
Centre for Integrated Research in Biosafety (INBI)
Ref. SCBD/BS/MPDM/jh/67587 - Submission of information on identification of living modified organisms that are not likely to have adverse effects on conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health.
Observational science in the environmental risk assessment and management of GMOs (Apr 2012)
Abstract (Provided by Author) Where there is a long history of use of a technology or where risk assessment relies upon sciences with firm theoretical grounding for prediction, there may be confidence that potential adverse effects of a product have been identified. However, in environmental risk assessment and management of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) uncertainties about the kind and severity of potential adverse effects can be high. In reviewing many other applications of monitoring ...
Molecular profiling — a tool for addressing emerging gaps in the comparative risk assessment of GMOs
Abstract Assessing the risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is required by both international agreement and domestic legislation. Many view the use of the “omics” tools for profiling classes of molecules as useful in risk assessment, but no consensus has formed on the need or value of these techniques for assessing the risks of all GMOs. In this and many other cases, experts support case-by-case use of molecular profiling techniques for risk assessment. We review the latest research on...
Evaluation of horizontal gene transfer monitoring experiments conducted in New Zealand between 2004 and 2009 (2011)
Abstract: In 2002, the Environmental Risk Management Authority of New Zealand (ERMANZ or the Authority) approved an application by the company AgResearch, Ltd. to create and dispose of genetically modified (GM) bovine. As part of its risk management strategy, the Authority imposed a requirement for monitoring soil microorganisms for uptake of transgenes by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT is routinely considered in biosafety risk assessment because it may be a process that underpins eventual ...
Human Lactoferrin Biopharming in New Zealand: Scientific Risk Assessement (2008)
Animals but especially plants and microbes are a source of a significant proportion of our medicines and industrial compounds. Arguably, their cultivation and preservation for this purpose is nothing new. However, the emergent genetic engineering of plants and animals to be used as recombinant biofactories for the production of therapeutic or industrial chemicals warrants thorough hazard identification and risk evaluation. Unlike the use of transgenic, or genetically modified, microorganisms fo...