Biosafety Issues of Genetically 0odLٽed Organisms

What is it about?

Use of GMOs is common now in healthcare industry and agriculture, oіen for the production of better quality products. While healthcare industry is highly regulated and the products are generally life-saving drugs, agriculture is more open and deals with crops, their protection from insect pests and diseases, improving their taste, quality and acceptability to the consumers. With the adoption of GM crops in 19 developing and 8 industrial countries, it is grown over 175 million hectares world over [2]. Hence, biosafety concerns associated with the use of GMOs are widely discussed. Нe biosafety concerns in agriculture may not be necessarily associated with the characteristics of the products used, but the way it is produced. Since GM crops and animals are grown under open environment and they can interact with other organisms in the surrounding environment, GMOs in agriculture have become a more sensitive issue than they are in the healthcare industry.

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Why is it important?

GMOs are emerging as very important tools to solve several current problems; however biosafety is an equally important concern. It is very well understood now that modern life science research would enhance the quality of human life, if used wisely and safely. On the other hand, if used carelessly, it may have negative impacts on the environment and human life. Biosafety is important not only from the safe product development point of view but also for safe utilization of the technology. Biosecurity and bioterrorism are the associated issues emerging rapidly, and need to be taken care in the interest of the sustainable research, human health and the environmental safety.

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