New Book: Bt Crops Past Their Sell-By Date: A Failing Technology Searching for New Markets?

This new publication flags the potential pitfalls associated with the push by Bt crop backers to make market inroads into developing countries for a technology of questionable effectiveness and durability. […]

The Need for Horizon Scanning and Technology Assessment to Address the Evolving Nature of Genetic Engineering

This TWN Briefing Paper, “The Need for Horizon Scanning and Technology Assessment to Address the Evolving Nature of Genetic Engineering”, provides some examples of new developments in genetic engineering – gene drives, genetically engineered viruses and RNA interference – to demonstrate why horizon scanning and technology assessment are urgently needed. […]

Why Genome Edited Organisms are not Excluded from the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

This TWN/GeneWatch UK briefing sets out to show that currently deployed genome editing technologies and applications, including all techniques involving CRISPR-based systems, clearly fall within the Cartagena Protocol on Bisoafety’s definition of a living modified organism (LMO), whether they involve inserting, deleting or editing sequences of genomes. […]

US rDNA Committee Disbanded, Exacerbating Poor Oversight of GE Research

This TWN Biosafety Briefing addresses the issue of oversight of GE research in the US, with recommendations for rectifying the numerous problems. […]

Risk Assessment Challenges of Synthetic Gene Drive Organisms

Our understanding of any potential adverse impacts of gene drive organisms on the environment or human health is limited by critical knowledge gaps and uncertainties with regard to both intended and unintended effects, preventing conduct of robust and reliable risk assessments. […]

Legal and Regulatory Issues Relevant to Gene Drive Organisms

There is an urgent need for effective international and legally binding regulation of gene drive organisms (GDOs). […]

Key Elements in a Legal and Regulatory Framework for Gene Drive Organisms

Biosafety briefing_gene drives key elements_FRENCH

Gene Drives: A Summary of Legal and Regulatory Issues

Biosafety briefing_gene drives summary_FRENCH

Transferring the Laboratory to the Wild: An Emerging Era of Environmental Genetic Engineering

New GE techniques such as genome editing and new delivery techniques have facilitated an emerging trend to genetically engineer organisms in the wild, essentially converting the environment into the laboratory. […]

Key Elements in a Legal and Regulatory Framework for Gene Drive Organisms

Biosafety briefing_gene rives key elements