TWN Info Service on Biosafety
24 November 2023
Third World Network
www.twn.my
Dear Friends and Colleagues
Risks from Plants Produced with New Genomic Techniques More Complex than Anticipated
A new review paper shows that the risks associated with new genetic engineering processes (or new genomic techniques, NGT) are frequently underestimated and that NGT processes can cause unintended genetic changes that would be unlikely to occur with conventional breeding.
Therefore, the associated effects, such as the production of new proteins, the insertion of genetic material from other species or the disruption of important gene functions, can also differ significantly from conventional breeding outcomes. This implies that the biological effects can also be different and may cause risks to health and the environment.
The EU Commission recently put forward a legislative proposal to exempt the majority of NGT plants from current mandatory risk assessment in the EU. The authors of the paper disagree with assumptions that NGT plants would not pose any specific risks in comparison to conventionally-bred plants and highlight that unintended genetic changes caused by NGT processes remain relevant to risk assessment.
The authors conclude that the assessment of intended as well as unintended genetic changes should be part of a mandatory comprehensive molecular characterisation and risk assessment, on a case-by-case basis, of NGT plants that are meant for environmental releases or for market authorization. This is needed before any statements can be made in regard to the safety of NGT plants.
With best wishes,
Third World Network
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Item 1
A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE EU: UNINTENDED GENETIC CHANGES IN PLANTS CAUSED BY NGT – THEIR RELEVANCE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE MOLECULAR CHARACTERISATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT
Koller, F., & Cieslak, M.
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11, 1276226.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1276226
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1276226/full
27 October 2023
Abstract
Several regions in the world are currently holding discussions in regard to the regulation of new genomic techniques (NGTs) and their application in agriculture. The European Commission, for instance, is proposing the introduction of specific regulation for NGT plants. Various questions need to be answered including e.g., the extent to which NGT-induced intended and unintended genetic modifications must be subjected to a mandatory risk assessment as part of an approval procedure. This review mostly focuses on findings in regard to unintended genetic changes that can be caused by the application of NGTs. More specifically, the review deals with the application of the nuclease CRISPR/Cas, which is currently the most important tool for developing NGT plants, and its potential to introduce double strand breaks (DSBs) at a targeted DNA sequence. For this purpose, we identified the differences in comparison to non-targeted mutagenesis methods used in conventional breeding. The review concludes that unintended genetic changes caused by NGT processes are relevant to risk assessment. Due to the technical characteristics of NGTs, the sites of the unintended changes, their genomic context and their frequency (in regard to specific sites) mean that the resulting gene combinations (intended or unintended) may be unlikely to occur with conventional methods. This, in turn, implies that the biological effects (phenotypes) can also be different and may cause risks to health and the environment. Therefore, we conclude that the assessment of intended as well as unintended genetic changes should be part of a mandatory comprehensive molecular characterisation and risk assessment of NGT plants that are meant for environmental releases or for market authorisation.
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Item 2
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PLANTS OBTAINED FROM ‘NEW GENETIC ENGINEERING’ ARE MORE COMPLEX THAN ASSUMED
Testbiotech
https://www.testbiotech.org/en/news/risks-associated-plants-obtained-new-genetic-engineering-are-more-complex-assumed
27 October 2023
A new publication in the science journal ‘Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology’ comprehensively reviews unintended genetic changes in plants caused by new genetic engineering processes (or new genomic techniques, NGT). The study shows that the risks associated with NGT plants are frequently underestimated.
According to data presented in the above publication, the processes of NGT can cause unintended genetic changes that would not be expected to occur with conventional breeding. In addition, the associated effects, such as the production of new proteins, the insertion of genetic material from other species or the disruption of important gene functions, therefore, can differ significantly from conventional breeding outcomes.
In contrast, a working group of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Leopoldina just recently came to the conclusion that NGT plants would not pose any specific risks in comparison to conventionally-bred plants. Furthermore, the EU Commission recently put forward a legislative proposal to exempt the majority of NGT plants from current from mandatory risk assessment.
The authors of the recent publication disagree with such assumptions. They conclude that the risks of the unintended genetic changes need to be assessed case-by-case before any statements can be made in regard to the safety of NGT plants. The study was produced as part of current research being carried out by the ‘Project Genetic Engineering and the Environment’ (FGU); the research is focused on the impact of genetically engineered organisms from the perspective of the protection goals, such as health and the environment.
Contact:
Christoph Then, info@testbiotech.org, Tel + 49 151 54638040