Genome editing is Mother Nature

Genome editing is Mother Nature

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Recently, much has been made in the press about a technology called genome editing. In effect, and it's not GMO, you can enter a cell and edit its properties. Is this a path to a tremendous positive benefit to farmers and ranchers or is it a potential path to disaster?

Dr. David Songstad, Director of Research/Cell Biology, Cibus, and Past President of The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology discusses this very important topic.

"I am a firm believer in technology. This is the next step in that progression of technology. It's a new tool in the toolbox that plant breeders can use. It has been very firmly embraced by plant breeders because it is a way in which they can do their job more effectively and get a more positive outcome in a shorter amount of time. When the United States Department of Agriculture has done their studies and they view genome editing to be another version of advanced plant breeding. They are not going to regulate genome editing within the United States as long as it has no plant pest component to it. In other words if mother nature is not regulated, why should we regulate a technology with the same outcome. It can't be differentiated from what mother nature can do."

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