2023 Genome-Edited Microbial Products for Agricultural Use

CERSA is meeting in Raleigh, NC for the second session of the Genome-Edited Microbial Workshop to continue our dialogue around genome-edited microbial regulations. With the next GEM workshop, we plan to tackle some of the challenging topics that arose from the September workshop. Specific questions we plan to address as are follows:

• What are the main concerns from a regulatory agency perspective? The USDA APHIS has a regulatory requirements that should be fulfilled before issuing permits. Several permit applicants are either new to our regulatory process or dealing with new microbes that require more time for regulatory to conduct their own reviews delaying the issuance of permits on time. This workshop will help identify how best to facilitate (and education about) this process.
• What research is still needed to address gaps/concerns in the literature? From a regulatory perspective, it is important to determine the following: Is the new microbe a plant pest? Does it have biocontrol properties? What diagnostic tools are best suited to measure the presence of modified microbes in soil after the termination of field experiments? How far microbes disseminate and how long do they persist in soil or spread through spores beyond regulated field trials? Our hope is by the end of this workshop, we will have a team of scientists ready to tackle these and other questions together.
• How can we help to create a more efficient and transparent regulatory framework? This workshop will help to address this exact concern by bringing regulatory agencies that issue permits (BRS, PPQ, EPA) and conduct food safety assessment (FDA) and regulated community together and discuss how the process can be made more efficient or streamline the permitting process under a coordinated framework.

We will host academics, regulators, industry, and NGO partners for another engaging and productive workshop to further discuss genome-edited microbial products for agricultural use, and how to enable all involved at this critical junction for disruptive and innovative technologies.

A list of the speakers and the topics discussed can be found here.

Contact

For any questions, please contact:
Carrie Rogers, Communications Manager, CERSA, NC State University carrie_rogers@ncsu.edu.