2026 AgBRIDGE Professional Development Program
AgBRIDGE (Agricultural Biotechnology Regulatory Innovation, Development, and Governance Education) is an immersive, week‑long training program designed to strengthen global understanding of agricultural biotechnology, regulatory systems, and governance frameworks. The program blends foundational biotechnology learning with hands‑on laboratory activities, field and facility tours, and expert-led sessions on U.S. and international regulatory systems.
About the 2026 Program
AgBRIDGE 2026 ran from August 10th to 14th at NC State University, structured across five themed days. Day one introduced modern biotechnology and the U.S. regulatory system, with sessions from the FDA, EPA-OPP, and USDA-BRS. Day two covered the history of biotech regulation and the product approval process, followed by a hands-on plant transformation lab. Day three focused on the components of a regulatory dossier and included a visit to Syngenta’s Research Triangle Park facility. Day four further addressed U.S. and international regulatory systems, science communication, and a field tour of transgenic cotton. Day five covered genome editing and product commercialization. AgBRIDGE builds on CERSA’s 2024 Agricultural Bioregulatory Program.
Speakers and contributors came from federal agencies, industry, consultancies, and academia: Adrian Percy (NC State Plant Sciences Initiative); Chris Peterson (Peterson Global Agriculture Development); Charles Kanobe (FDA); Amanda Pierce (EPA-OPP); Suma Chakravarthy (USDA-BRS); Felicity Keiper (BASF); Miguel Vega-Sanchez (Bayer); Raymond Dobert (Harambe Ag Consulting); Kathleen Denya (NC State), who led the Plant Sciences Building tour; Kedong Da (NC State), who led the plant transformation lab; Ali Scott, Jordan Sottosanto, and Mitscheli Sanches da Rocha (BASF); Scott Huber, Mary McCarthy, Savithri Purayannur, Vishu Ellur, Probha Ranasinghe, and Ronnie Moore (Syngenta); J. Royden Saah (GeneConvene Global Collaborative/FNIH); Jory Weintraub (NC State); Keith Edmisten (NC State); Wayne Buhler (NC State); Laura McConnell and Aditia Rusmawan (Bayer); Rodolphe Barrangou (NC State); Dan Jenkins (Pairwise); and Danesha Seth Carley (NC State, CERSA Director).
The program combined lectures with facility tours, field visits, and laboratory work. Site visits included NC State’s Plant Sciences Building, the Syngenta RTP laboratory and greenhouse facilities, the State Farmers Market, and the Central Crops Research Station. Participants also completed a hands-on plant transformation exercise and a dossier case-study activity.
The cohort comprised five participants representing government agencies and research institutions across four countries: Marina Mühl (Argentina, Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries); Nana Akua Yeboah (Ghana, Food and Drugs Authority); Mohd (Waznul) Adly Mohd Zaidan (Malaysia, Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute); Happy Suryati (Indonesia, Directorate of Food Crops Seed, Ministry of Agriculture); and Susi Purwiyanti (Indonesia, Indonesian Center for Agricultural Development and Modernization of Biotechnology and Genetic Resources). Participants attended all five days of sessions, tours, and discussions.
AgBRIDGE was organized and facilitated by the CERSA team and made possible by the enthusiasm and engagement of our partners across industry, government, non-profits, and academia. For more information about AgBRIDGE, please contact CERSA at [email protected].
