US EPA considers revamp of risk assessment process for RNAi

摘要

RNA interference (RNAi) technology is being tipped as the next big thing in the world of crop protection, but the US EPA is concerned that its current risk assessment process may not be up to the task. The Agency says that 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”. By contrast, pesticide manufacturers and users are bullish on the potential of RNAi technology and worried that the EPA may impose new testing and data requirements that could hinder development of new products. “Our greatest concern about RNAi technology is that its regulation will exceed the risks, and it will be excessive to the point of stifling innovation,” Lee Van Wychen, director of science policy for the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), said in comments submitted to the EPA.