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Journals and Workshop Reports

Gene Drives in Agriculture: Risk Assessment and Research Prioritization

Authors: Jabeen Ahmad, Jennifer Baltzegar, Zachary Brown, Jason Delborne, Sumit Dhole, Johanna Elsensohn, Fred Gould, Khara Grieger, Andrew Hardwick, Jennifer Kuzma, Marce Lorenzen, Nick Loschin, Raul Medina, Bethany Mostert, Patti Mulligan, Kim Pepin, Dylan Spangle, Sharon Stauffer, Ruthie Stokes, Willy Wei, and Katie Barnhill (2022)

The Gene Drives in Agriculture workshop, held via Zoom in June 2022, featured seven speakers on various aspects of risk assessment in the context of gene drives for agricultural pests. The purpose of the workshop was to foster deliberative discussions among participants, resulting in the production of a white paper on research priorities for these technologies.

This workshop was hosted by the Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center at NC State University and funded by the USDA-NIFA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant program (grant number 2020-33522-32269).

Exploring Stakeholder Perspectives on the Development of a Gene Drive Mouse for Biodiversity Protection on Islands: Landscape Analysis and Workshop Report 

Authors: Jason Delborne, Julie Shapiro, Mahmud Farroque, S. Kathleen Barnhill-Dilling, Tyler Ford, Dalton George, and Sonia Dermer (2019)

Mice offer an ideal genetic model for exploring the possibility of developing a synthetic gene drive in mammals. As pests, they pose challenges to human health (through disease transmission), agricultural yields and storage, and biodiversity, especially on islands where they are not native. In line with the guidance of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on gene drive research (NASEM, 2016), if research on gene drives in mice were to progress to a field trial, an island ecosystem would offer an additional level of physical containment. Thus, the focal application for the stakeholder landscape analysis and this workshop is the potential for developing and releasing a gene drive mouse on an island to suppress an invasive mouse population that poses a threat to biodiversity endemic to that island (e.g., nesting seabirds).

Biotechnology, the American Chestnut Tree, and Public Engagement: Workshop Report

Authors: Jason Delborne, Andrew Binder, Louie Rivers, Jessica Cavin Barnes, S. Kathleen Barnhill-Dilling, Dalton George, Adam Kokotovich, and Jayce Sudweeks (2018)

In April 2018, a team of NC State faculty and students convened a stakeholder workshop to explore opportunities for public engagement surrounding the development, regulatory review, and potential deployment of a genetically engineered American chestnut tree. As perhaps the first GMO designed to spread and persist in the wild, the tree has the potential to restore a functionally extinct species but also raises important ethical, political, ecological, and cultural questions. This report describes the workshop and its purpose, details the substance of the discussions, and offers the research team’s perspective on lessons learned and ways forward.

Journal of Responsible Innovation: Roadmap to Gene Drives – Research and Governance Needs in Social, Political, and Ecological Context

Edited by: Jason Delborne, Jennifer Kuzma, Fred Gould, Emma Frow, Caroline Leitschuh, and Jayce Sudweeks (2018)

The Genetic Engineering and Society Center at hosted a workshop in February of 2016, supported in part by the National Science Foundation, entitled ‘A Roadmap to Gene Drives: A Deliberative Workshop to Develop Frameworks for Research and Governance.’ (see workshop site)

In order to examine core governance issues and research needs in an anticipatory way, this 3-day workshop brought together over 70 subject matter experts from academia, business, government, and non-profit organizations from 10 different countries in Europe, Australia, and North and South America. Those experts were invited to submit papers for this special issue of the Journal of Responsible Innovation. In total, 13 peer-reviewed papers are included in the special Gene Drive issue of the Journal.

BMC Proceedings: Environmental Release of Engineered Pests: Building an International Governance Framework

Edited by Lucy Carter, Zachary Brown and Fred Gould (2018)

In October 2016, a two-day meeting of 65 academic, government and industry professionals was held at North Carolina State University for early-stage discussions about the international governance of gene drives: potentially powerful new technologies that can be used for the control of pests, invasive species, and disease vectors. (see workshop site)

Presenters at the meeting prepared seven manuscripts elaborating on the ideas raised. This BMC Proceedings issue presents the collection of these peer-reviewed manuscripts.

Synthetic Biology Governance: Delphi Study Workshop Report

Authors: Pat Roberts, Sharon Stauffer, Christopher Cummings, and Jennifer Kuzma (2015)

In order to explore risk governance data needs, opportunities, and challenges for SynBio, we initiated a research project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2013. This project had the overarching goals to “unpack” the broad field of SynBio for more nuanced and productive policy discussions and help set priorities for risk-relevant data collection, organizational and/or legislative readiness for oversight, and public and stakeholder engagement. In doing so, the project chose four case studies of potential applications of SynBio that are not yet in the final stages of research and development. We employed a four-round policy Delphi study to anticipate governance needs upstream of technology development and consumer use. (see Synthetic Biology Sloan Foundation Grant site)

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Statement on Productive, Inclusive, and Ethical Communication

Adopted June 28, 2013

Genetic engineering encompasses technologies, practices, and policies that can affect all of society and must be informed by substantial, rigorous, open, and inclusive civic deliberation. The Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center at North Carolina State University has adopted the following guidelines to promote productive, inclusive, and ethical communication. Download