A recent study published by the Innovative Genomics Institute, which was founded by Jennifer Doudna, demonstrates how CRISPR/Cas gene scissors can be used in plants to achieve the greatest possible effects with the smallest possible genetic changes. The authors refer to this as ‘hypermorphing’ – it enables extreme changes in plant traits that were not possible with previous methods of genetic engineering.
Plants developed using new genetic engineering (or new genomic techniques, NGTs) could soon be grown and marketed in the EU without environmental risk assessment. In short, the European Commission is proposing to allow up to 20 genetic changes in NGT plants without requiring mandatory risk assessment. The ‘hypermorphic’ effects described here fall far below this scientifically unproven threshold. Contrary to the Commission’s claims, the recently published study highlights the fact that the characteristics and risks associated with NGT plants do not depend on the number of genetic changes.
In ‘hypermorphing’, in a first step, CRISPR/Cas is used to trigger a multitude of genetic changes. The next step involves selecting mutations to be as small as possible while simultaneously achieving the greatest possible effect. The outcome is a very small number of point mutations in DNA segments that have a major influence on gene activity. One of the goals of hypermorphing is to come to market quicker, by bypassing approval processes and environmental risk assessment.
Sorghum was used in the study as an example of how to increase the rate of photosynthesis. This advanced technique is however in no way limited to specific plant species or traits. Rather, the study reveals a fundamentally new dimension in the potential of NGTs to engineer plant traits that can pose significant environmental risks.
The researchers are of the opinion that the genetic variants achieved through ‘hypermorphing’ did not previously exist. In any case, their effects go far beyond what was previously known from conventional breeding. They also surpass what has been possible to achieve in transgenic plants thus far. In this specific case, the photosynthetic capacity of the plants was increased more than 30-fold. Plants of this kind are entirely new to the environment. Yet under future EU regulations, this would not trigger mandatory environmental risk assessment.
The study highlights not only the enormous technical potential of new genetic engineering, but also the need for risk research: such significant changes in the characteristics of a species pose substantial risks for ecosystems. Plants with strongly increased photosynthesis rates could become invasive or particularly susceptible to plant diseases. In addition, the potentially excessive growth of these plants could rapidly deplete the energy balance and water reserves in the soil.
In the opinion of Testbiotech, the planned EU legislation runs the risk of adopting a ‘post-factual’ policy driven by economic ideologies that intentionally deny inconvenient facts. The European Commission claims that its proposal for future regulation will allow the safe handling of NGT plants. However, many recently published studies show that the proposed criteria are in no way sufficient to effectively prevent harm to humans and the environment.
Contact:
Christoph Then, info@testbiotech.org, Tel +49 151 54638040
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