Anything can happen between now and the final version of the new Precision Breeding Bill. But government seems to have taken to heart the suggestion from last year’s Regulatory Horizons Council report to apply “creative use of guidelines, standards [and] policies” to see if it’s possible to get it right (or get away with it).
Can a new method for detecting a new gene-edited plant ensure product traceability, labelling and consumer trust?
In September of this year, the first-ever public detection method for a gene-edited crop was announced. The new method detects a herbicide-tolerant (SU) rapeseed variety that was developed using gene […]
Transferring the laboratory to the wild
A new briefing from the Third World Network Biosafety Information Service spotlights the emerging use of new genetic engineering techniques such as genome editing and new delivery techniques as a […]
Rewriting nature?
Synthetic biology – altering or redesigning genes to meet human objectives – is a fast-developing field. So far mostly applied in agriculture and medicine, synthetic biology could have substantial knock-on […]
Are gene-edited animals drugs?
How do we regulate gene-edited animals? It’s not a new question but it’s one that is gaining urgency as biotechnology companies turn their attention to intentional alterations in animal genomes.