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Field Testing Genetically Modified Organisms Framework for Decisions (1989) / Chapter Skim
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1 Executive Summary
Pages 1-6

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From page 1...
... The NRC was asked to use this analysis to identify criteria for defining risk categories and to recommend ways to assess the potential risks associated with introducing these modified organisms. A steering committee was formed under the Board on Biology of the NRC's Commission on Life Sciences to prepare a report responding to the BSCC request.
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From page 2...
... discusses the properties of the genetic modification, phenotypic prop erties of the source organism and its genetically modified derivatives, and properties of the environment with respect to the organisrrm that may be released into it. Investigators modifying microorganisms for environmental mtrm auction should assess the influence of genetic alteration on the organ~sm's phenotype and the mobility of the altered trait.
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From page 3...
... Plants modified by classical genetic methods are judged safe for field testing on the basis of experience with hundreds of millions of genotypes field-tested over decades. They are, ~ the terms used by the plant subcomrn~ttee, Unmanageable by accepted standards." The committee emphasizes that the current means for making decisions about the introductions of classically bred plants are entirely appropriate and no additional oversight is needed or suggested in this report.
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From page 4...
... MICROORGANISMS 1. The precision of many of the molecular methods allows scientists to make genetic modifications in microbial strains that can be fully characterized, in some cases to the determination of specific alterations of bases in the DNA nucleotide sequence.
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From page 5...
... When the familiarity standard for a plant or microorganism has been satisfied such that reasonable assurance exists that the organism and the other conditions of an introduction are essentially similar to known introductions, and when these have proven to present negligible risk, the introduction is assumed to be suitable for field testing according to established practice. The familiarity criterion is central to the suggested framework of evaluation.
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From page 6...
... We believe that our evaluation of the scientific issues and our pros posed frameworks provide the responsible government agencies with the foundation for a flexible, scientifically based, decision-making process. Use of the frameworks for evaluation of field tests peanuts the classification of an introduced organism into a risk category.
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Key Terms

  • genetic modification
  • modified organisms
  • field tests
  • genetic methods
  • plants modified

  • molecular methods
  • field testing
  • introduced organism
  • introduced microorganism
  • modified plants

  • classical genetic
  • modified microorganisms
  • cellular methods
  • field introductions
  • phenotypic properties

  • major environmental
  • relative safety
  • enhanced weediness
  • confinement options
  • scientific issues

  • frameworks provide
  • properties raises
  • modify dna
  • information exists
  • risk category

  • source organism
  • prop erties
  • temporal isolation
  • potential weediness
  • undesirable phenotypes


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