Gene editing technology and governance in Canada
Objectives
Explore the status of gene editing in Canadian plant breeding, potential barriers to its use and consumer perceptions of this technology.
Integrate our research on technology adoption within Canadian plant breeding into policy discussions around regulating gene editing technology.
Executive Summary
In Spring 2021, Health Canada released proposed new guidance for the Novel Food Regulations, specifically focused on plant breeding, and conducted an open consultation seeking feedback from both industry stakeholders and general Canadian public. This move reflects the government’s intent to establish a predictable commercialization pathway in preparation for new products that are developed using new plant breeding techniques, more specifically, “gene editing” (GEd) techniques. This study explores the status of gene editing in Canadian plant breeding, potential barriers to its use and consumer perceptions of this technology.
Attribution
The following researchers and their organizations were involved in this work and should be credited for their role in any resulting or related publications.
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| Data Curator |
Lacey-Anne Sanderson
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Publication
- Pixley, K.V., Falck-Zepeda, J.B., Paarlberg, R.L. et al. Genome-edited crops for improved food security of smallholder farmers. Nat Genet 54, 364–367 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-022-01046-7
- Rossato M, Marcolungo L, De Antoni L, Lopatriello G, Bellucci E, Cortinovis G, Frascarelli G, Nanni L, Bitocchi E, Di Vittori V, Vincenzi L, Lucchini F, Bett KE, Ramsay L, Konkin DJ, Delledonne M, Papa R. CRISPR-Cas9-based repeat depletion for high-throughput genotyping of complex plant genomes.. Genome research. 2023 May; 33(5):787-797.
Research Outputs
The following research outputs are specific to the study as a whole. There are additional research outputs associated with the linked experiments.
Research Outputs
The Costs of Genome Editing Governance
Diego Macall, Stuart Smyth, and Peter Phillips
This policy brief on the governance of gene editing expands on the scope of issues surrounding this technology through review of existing literature and studies.
What needs to be done to make the most of CRISPR in Canadian Agriculture?
Diego Macall
This post was written following an event hosted by Ag-West Bio Inc. featuring Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna, codeveloper of CRISPR, on September 21, 2021. It discusses some of the opportunities and challenges brought up in the talk in the context of the research being done in this study.
Status of Gene Editing Use in Public Canadian Crop Breeding
Peter W.B. Phillips, Diego Maximiliano Macall and Simona Lubieniechi
This report describes the status of gene editing usage in public Canadian crop breeding. Researchers interviewed crop breeders from six Canadian universities and the results of these interviews are summarized in this report. Additionally, some ways that policy can help resolve the issues uncovered are discussed.
Grant Activity
Grant Logo
Title
EVOLVES: Enhancing the Value of Lentil Variation for Ecosystem Survival
Data Custodian
- Kirstin E Bett
- Albert Vandenberg
Research Organization
Funding Range
2019-2023