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BfR Consumer Conference Genome Editing (CRISPR/Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas9)
Project
Project code: BfR-RIKO-08-20180301
Contract period: 01.03.2018
- 01.12.2019
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment
Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9, Genome Editing, agriculture, consumer information
The term "Genome Editing" covers various new molecular biological methods with the help of which genetic information can be specifically modified. CRISPR/Cas9 is a genome editing technique based on a natural defence mechanism of bacteria against viruses. CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9) is a method that promises a variety of new applications. The procedure can be applied to bacteria, plants, animals and humans. Compared to conventional genetic engineering, the CRISPR/Cas method is deemed to be much faster, more precise, more efficient and less expensive. For reasons of consumer safety, it may be necessary to risk assess individual products produced using this technique in order to obtain health-relevant information. In addition to the issue of consumer safety, the issue of consumer information is also relevant. In agriculture, for example, one future application of the method is likely to be the development of resistance in plants and animals to common diseases and the improvement of food production through beneficial metabolic performance of crops. In autumn 2016, focus group interviews were conducted against the background of as yet unresolved issues in dealing with genome editing. The focus here was primarily on the question of whether consumers see a health risk in the new method and whether and to what extent genome editing methods are associated with conventional genetic engineering. In December 2016, a BfR symposium on "New technologies for the modification of the genome" was held with the aim of discussing the possibilities, limits and social challenges associated with these methods. Against this background, a qualified opinion on the applications of genome editing in consumer-related areas will be developed in an eight-month research project within the framework of the dialogical process of a consumer conference. To this end, a group of consumers with a heterogeneous composition with regard to sociodemographic factors such as age and gender will be integrated into a dialogical process in order to facilitate an exchange with experts from the field of genome editing methods, so that questions by consumers can be answered.
The following four goals are at the centre of the project:
• Initiation of a dialogue process between consumers and actors active in the field of genome editing (CRISPR/Cas).
• Creation of a qualified opinion of consumers for the application of genome editing (CRISPR/Cas) in consumer-related areas • Drafting a strategy for the optimization of scientific and social communication about genome editing
• Development of proposals for a future responsible use of the methods of genome editing (e.g. future research fields, areas of application) in the form of a consumer vote. The consumer vote will be presented to decision-makers from science, politics, business and civil society at a public event. The findings will be used to make risk communication more target group-oriented and effective and to promote the BfR's participatory dialogue with various stakeholders from science, industry, politics, the media, associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers.
Section overview
Subjects
- Biotechnology
- Process engineering
