Ecological Risk Factors Related to Environmental Uses of Genetically Engineered Organisms

摘要

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the ecological questions and concerns related to environmental applications of biotechnology. There are a number of uncertainties about the risks entailed in the use of such products. These uncertainties arise principally because of gaps in the knowledge bases in basic ecology, microbial biology and ecology, genetics, and risk assessment. The need to ensure that the benefits of biotechnology products are safely realized and that their environmental applications do not result in new sources of environmental degradation provides the fundamental rationale for systematic assessments of risk before field testing or commercial use. 16 refs., 1 tab. (ERA citation 13:031085)