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A risk-based approach to the regulation of genetically engineered organisms

Nature Biotechnology volume 34, pages 493–503 (2016)Cite this article

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Current regulatory regimes for genetically engineered crops fail to use a scientifically defensible approach or tailor the degree of regulatory review to the level of actual hazard or risk. We describe a rational way forward.

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Figure 1: Label originally proposed by the EPA for virus-resistant plum.
Figure 2: Different technologies have been implemented over history (time) in the plant breeding process.
Figure 3: Tabular algorithm used to classify GMOs into the Stanford Model environmental risk categories for regulatory purposes.
Figure 4: EPSPS from different plants and microbes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Greg Conko is executive director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC, USA.,

    Gregory Conko

  2. Drew L. Kershen is Earl Sneed Centennial Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,

    Drew L Kershen

  3. Henry I. Miller is Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,

    Henry Miller

  4. Wayne A. Parrott is a professor at the Institute for Plant Breeding Genetics & Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,

    Wayne A Parrott

Authors
  1. Gregory Conko
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  2. Drew L Kershen
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  3. Henry Miller
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  4. Wayne A Parrott
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henry Miller.

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Competing interests

D.K. is a retired law professor who has represented clients and served as an expert witness in matters relating to agricultural biotechnology. G.C. is at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which has received non-directed contributions from Monsanto, Syngenta, and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. W.P. performs public-sector-funded research with genetically modified crops and has done public outreach under the auspices of the ILSI International Food Biotechnology Committee and CropLife International. H.M. has been an expert consultant in litigation involving agribusiness companies

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Conko, G., Kershen, D., Miller, H. et al. A risk-based approach to the regulation of genetically engineered organisms. Nat Biotechnol 34, 493–503 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3568

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