EU Ruling on Gene Editing

Why in news?

The European Court of Justice recently ruled that organisms obtained by mutagenesis are also GMOs within the meaning of the GMO Directive.

What is the ruling?

• The guidelines on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will apply to plants bred using gene editing technology (mutagenesis).
• The techniques of mutagenesis should alter the genetic material of an organism in a way that does not occur naturally.
• These organisms will come, in principle, within the scope of the GMO Directive.
• They are subject to the obligations laid down by that directive.
• The ruling, however, leaves out other mutagenesis techniques like irradiation.
• It's because these have a proven track record and need not be considered under the same bracket.

What is gene editing?

• Genetic modification involves the introduction of foreign DNA into an organism.
• On the other hand, gene editing involves editing of the organism’s native genome.
• CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene editing technology.
• CRISPR was talked about recently for its successful use in human embryos.
• This is done by introducing a protein (Cas9) containing the code of a defective gene.
• The protein then seeks out parts of the defective DNA that match this code.
• It then attaches itself to it, cuts it out, and then the DNA is allowed to repair itself by getting rid of the defect.

What are the benefits?

• Along with GMOs, gene-edited crops are considered to play an important role in increasing productivity.
• With gene editing, under appropriate regulations and policy, product development would be faster.
• It can be used to tackle specific traits by creating mutations.
• It is hoped that gene editing technologies would find wider acceptance than GM which faced opposition.
• As, gene editing does not involve introducing a foreign element into the plant’s genetic code.

• Concerns - Questions over the efficiency of gene editing and its potential to disrupt the natural order exist.
• Also, the new ruling will affect research, with over 14,000 papers on gene editing having been published in 2017 alone.

What is the case with India?

• Indian experience with gene editing technology is mainly confined to research and not the field.
• Today India does not have any regulations on CRISPR as it does on GMO crops.
• But the Department of Biotechnology and Indian Council of Agricultural Research are in talks in this regard.
• There are demands from various sides for regulation on gene editing, for bio-safety.
• There is a need for a regulatory framework that does not take long processes for approval.
• India, instead of following the EU model of regulation, should take up models followed in the US, Australia and Canada.
• As, regulation has traditionally been stricter in Europe than in the US and Canada.

Source: Indian Express