Do Genetically Engineered Microorganisms Pose Risks to Ecosystems?

Abstract

Debate and controversy continues about proposals to release genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMS) into the environment. The concerns of ecologists and the public will have to be addressed by a program designed to build public trust about both risks and benefits of GEMS. At present there is no clear, coherent agenda of regulation in research for the public to relate to, and they know that the methods for assessing chemical or physical risks do not work with living GEMS. In this case the difference between basic research and applied research dissolves because any data in these GEM cases can be useful and applied immediately. This is because of the enormity of our ignorance about microbial ecology in general and in particular about the ecology of genes in soil and water. Molecular geneticists and ecologists must form a new discipline — Gene Ecology — in order to assess risks to the environment from horizontal gene transfer among GEMS and natural organisms in ecosystems.