US: EPA considers revamping its risk assessment process for RNAi pesticides and crops

摘要

RNA interference (RNAi) technology could be the next big thing in the world of crop protection, but the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned its current risk assessment process may not be up to the task. The agency says new pesticides that use the gene silencing technique present "unique challenges" for ecological and human health risk assessments "that have not yet been encountered in assessments for traditional chemical pesticides."