The genetic manipulation of plants, animals and microbes : the social and ethical issues for consumers : a discussion paper / by Roger Straughan.

  • Straughan, Roger.
Date:
1989
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Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: The genetic manipulation of plants, animals and microbes : the social and ethical issues for consumers : a discussion paper / by Roger Straughan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Gen«tlc manipulation of plant«, animale and microbes naturally in the human gut, genetically engineered variants of ft might cause an uncontrollable spread of disease outside the laboratory. Other ecological disasters were hypothesised in the event of modified microbes escaping and upsetting the balance of nature. An American report justifying new regulatory legislation in 1977 summed up the possible dangers as follows: Foreign dna in a micro-organism may alter it in unpredictable and undesirable ways. Should the altered micro-organism escape from containment, It might infect human beings, animals or plants causing disease or modifying the environment. Or the altered bacteria might have a competitive advantage, enhancing their survival in some niche within the ecosystem (2). During the 1970s increasingly stringent regulations were introduced, and in Japan and Holland genetic manipulation research was totally banned. During the 1980s, however, these regulations have been gradually relaxed as confidence has increased in the view that modified microtis are unlikely to be able to sun/ive outside the laboratory. In the UK the safety of genetic manipulation work is regulated by the Advisory Committee on Genetic Manipulation, which is part of the Health and Safety Executive; this committee also has a Planned Release subcommittee and a Transgenic Animals working party. Scientists generally seem happy with the present situation and tend to congratulate themselves on their responsible attitude and Initial caution. G.H. Fairtlough of Celtech Ltd., for example, comments: These Initial guidelines have in the event proved to be too stringent and most countries have now relaxed some of them In the light of increasing scientific knowledge. This pattern, starting with tough rules which are relaxed as knowledge allows us to be more discriminating, seems to be an excellent one, not least from industry's point of view as the reverse process of loose guidelines, followed by public concern, is likely to lead to permanent over-regulation. It will of course be necessary to keep a careful watch on scientific developments to make sure that radical advances In molecular genetics do not lead to potentially hazardous research being undertaken. On this Issue the scientific community has shown itself capable of a 13