Biosafety, Risk Assessment & Risk Management, Regulations Flashcards
What is modern biotechnology?
Modern biotechnology refers to the use of techniques such as in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including recombinant DNA (rDNA), and direct injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles, or fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family, that overcome natural physiological reproductive or recombination barriers and are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection.
What is a GMO or LMO?
GMO or LMO stands for genetically modified organism or living modified organism, respectively. It refers to any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.
What is the global area of biotech crops in 2020?
In 2020, the 25th year of commercialization of biotech crops, there was a 113-fold increase in the global area of biotech crops.
What are some mega countries in biotechnology?
Some mega countries in biotechnology include the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and India.
What are the most planted biotech crops in 2018?
The most planted biotech crops in 2018 were corn, soybeans, cotton, alfalfa, sugar beets, canola, squash/zucchini, papaya, potato, and apple.
What are some traits found in GMO crops?
Traits found in GMO crops include herbicide tolerance (soybean, maize, canola, cotton, sugar beet, and alfalfa), as well as stacked trait products such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance.
What are some concerns about the use of GMOs?
Concerns about the use of GMOs include their potential impact on human health, the environment, and biodiversity.
What is the FDA’s current policy on GMO foods?
- The FDA’s current policy on GMO food is that it has no basis for concluding that bioengineered foods differ from other foods in any meaningful way or that, as a class, foods developed by the new techniques present any different or greater safety concern than foods developed by traditional plant breeding.
- GMO foods must show equivalence.
What are GM foods?
GM foods are genetically modified foods, which have been altered using biotechnology techniques to introduce specific genetic traits.
What is the World Health Organization’s take on GM foods being safe for human consumption?
GM foods currently available on the international market have passed safety assessments and are not likely to present risks to human health. No effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved,
What is the importance of documentation of handling practices for GM foods?
Documentation of handling practices for GM foods is important to ensure proper segregation procedures and to rely on certifications or affidavits from farmers, processors, and others in the food production and distribution chain, to track and verify the use of bioengineering in food production.
What is biosafety assessment in the context of GMOs?
Biosafety assessment involves the evaluation of hazards and risks associated with GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Hazards are potentially adverse outcomes of an event or activity, while risks refer to the probability and severity of an adverse event. Biosafety assessment is important in ensuring the safe use of GMOs.
What is risk assessment in the context of GMOs?
Risk assessment is the process of characterizing and quantifying risk associated with GMOs. It involves identifying and evaluating potential risks and uncertainties associated with the release and environmental effects of GMOs, and predicting and managing potential adverse impacts on the environment, human health, and biodiversity.
What are some factors considered in assessing ecological risk prior to GMO release?
Factors considered in assessing ecological risk prior to GMO release include the potential for transgene escape into the wild, the likelihood of the transgenes conferring advantageous traits or leading to the spread of weedy forms of a plant, and the potential environmental impacts of GMOs on local ecosystems.
What is risk management in the context of GMOs?
Risk management involves the implementation of strategies and measures to mitigate or minimize the risks associated with GMOs. It is important in the context of new or emerging technologies or programs that have associated risks, to ensure the safe and responsible use of GMOs.
What are some examples of risk management strategies?
Some examples of risk management strategies include anticipating detrimental effects, designing monitoring systems for early detection of adverse outcomes, and planning intervention strategies to prevent or remediate adverse effects on the environment or human health.
What is the purpose of a field trial in the context of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
The purpose of a field trial is to evaluate the characteristics and effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in a real-world environment, such as assessing the performance, safety, and potential risks associated with GM crops or animals.
What are some potential risks of GM papaya?
Some potential risks of GM papaya include toxicity or allergenicity to humans and other organisms, weediness, and the transfer of introduced genes to other organisms.
What information should be provided in a risk assessment and management plan for GM papaya?
The risk assessment and management plan for GM papaya should include information about the parent organism, genetic modification process, introduced genes, new proteins expressed, altered phenotype of GM papaya, and risks the GMOs may pose to the health and safety of people and the environment, as well as strategies to mitigate those risks.
What is the parent organism of GM papaya?
Carica papaya L. (papaya or paw paw).
Where was the papaya plant domesticated?
Papaya was domesticated in Central America.
True or False: Carica papaya is not a pathogenic organism
True
What is the closest relative of Carica papaya?
Vasconcellea
In which regions is Carica papaya grown commercially and in domestic gardens?
Carica papaya is grown both commercially and in domestic gardens in tropical and sub-tropical countries.
What is the modification in GM papaya related to delayed ripening?
GM papaya contains additional copies of genes encoding the enzyme 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (both sense and antisense versions of the capacs 1 or capacs 2 genes from Carica papaya), which down-regulate naturally occurring ACC synthase gene activity through ‘gene silencing’
Which gene is active at the initial stages of fruit ripening in papaya?
The capacs 1 gene is active at the initial stages of fruit ripening in papaya, expressed at high levels in mature green papaya fruit, and decreases steadily during ripening.
What is the effect of down-regulating ethylene biosynthesis in papaya?
It is possible that ethylene production may also be down-regulated in plant tissues other than fruit, such as leaves or seed.
What is the gene encoding a modified ethylene receptor protein from Arabidopsis thaliana used in GM papaya?
The etr1-1 gene, encoding a modified ethylene receptor protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, is used in GM papaya.
