Policy

In an attempt to maximize the impact of our iGEM project we concluded that for synthetic biology to truly move forward, more acceptance is required in Europe. Europe has some of the strictest policies regarding GMO´s. A GMO product made using mutagenesis techniques is readily accepted under the law whereas the same product made using conventional cloning techniques has to undergo strict and often cripling safety procedures. Start ups suffer under expensive testing requirements, some safety validation procedures can last up to a decade. Aside from the fact that the policy is not sensible, it conveys a distorted image to the general public. Portraying genetically modified organisms as something inherently unsafe. Though safety measures are necesary, overregulation can stifle innovation [1]. In order to confront this issue it was decided that a top down approach was required. Different institutes advice the government regarding policy in the Netherlands. The main advisory body in the Netherlands is the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM). A government funded institute concerning policy and research about issues concerning health and environment.

On April 17^th the Wageningen iGEM team contacted the RIVM about issues concerning safety and environment. Having heard about the potential of synthetic biology they were very interested to learn more about projects involved in the discipline; specifically the possibilities and the potential safety aspect linked to both the projects and the eventual application.

On June 10^th a meeting took place at the RIVM in Utrecht that proved to be highly successful. Two of our team members and a former iGEM participant (now supervisor of our team) met with Jaco Westerink and Cécile van der Vlught from the RIVM to discuss our project and iGEM as a whole. During the meeting a potential annual cooperation between all iGEM teams in the Netherlands and the RIVM was discussed. To that end we invited Jaco, Cécile and Dirk Stemerding from the Rathenau Institute to the National meetup of the iGEM teams hosted by Wageningen. It was there that the other Dutch teams got to meet the RIVM representatives and the groundwork for a gathering hosted by the RIVM was laid.

On September 17^th all iGEM teams, Dutch synthetic biologists, members of several departments from the RIVM and policy makers from different ministries came together at the RIVM for a gathering focusing on information exchange regarding synthetic biology. The main issues that were raised: What is synthetic biology? What are the possibilities and constraints? What opportunities does synthetic biology create and to what extent caution is required for its application?

Professor Oscar Kuipers from Molecular Genetics at Groningen University, Dr. Roel Bovenberg from DSM and RIVM employee and former iGEM judge Dr. Mark van Passel spoke during the symposium. Offering different perspectives on synthetic biology, Dr. van Passel gave a general introduction pointing out that synthetic biology is a method that is used to engineer biology rather than an actual application. Prof. Kuipers explained the different applications his chair is working on using synthetic biology. Dr. van Bovenberg gave an industrial perspective, specifically focusing on DSM’s attempt to incorporate synthetic biology applications in a biobased economy.

In the inaugural symposium, the iGEM students proceeded to give workshops on their iGEM projects with a selection of the audience members. The day closed in the form of an open discussion: the different workshop groups gave an overview of the arguments that were raised during the workshops. Those were then subsequently elaborated on by the three speakers. During the workshops the specific applications of the iGEM teams were discussed, focusing on both, the technical and social aspects. For Wageningen, releasing a genetically modified organism in the soil was especially interesting given the apprehension of using GMO products in Europe. Different comparisons came to the fore such as the use of mutated micro-organisms in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense stricken countries as a mode of biological control.

The discussion emphasized that a biological control agent re-engineered using synthetic biology is superior in several aspects: the specificity of the production of the fungal growth inhibitors upon fusaric acid detection and the self-termination of the biological control agent when the inducer is no longer present. Two components synthetic biology can offer to reduce the impact on the environment. Policy regarding synthetic biology was also discussed and several questions raised. How do you stimulate innovation but maintain a level of control and safety? What form should the public discourse take on a national level? To what extent would the BananaGuard application be accepted and legal in Europe? Though none of these questions could be answered in the given time the groundwork for a push in handling these issues has been laid. Concluding; a lot of the work still lies ahead of us, not just on a technical level. The event was fruitful and given the prospect of a yearly cooperation between the Dutch iGEM teams and the RIVM the future looks bright.

The report of the RIVM can be found here.

Future Impact

Wageningen approaching the RIVM in this manner has paved the way for a long term cooperation between the Institute and iGEM students. As it stands the symposium will be repeated next year with the Dutch iGEM teams of 2015. The yearly cooperation means a genuine impact can be made regarding the policies that will be developed over the coming years. By elaborating on our individual iGEM projects, government employees and policy makers can be updated on the current status of synthetic biology. Aspiring synthethic biologists can have an open dialogue in which both the technical and societal limitations of their prospective field can be discussed. In a sense the experience of iGEM can be shared through us with those determining its legal boundaries.

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References

1. Lynch, D., & Vogel, D. (2001). The regulation of GMOs in Europe and the United States: A case-study of contemporary European regulatory politics. Council on Foreign Relations.