March 28, 2016

NAS to Examine Future of Biotech Products

The National Academies is developing a new report to explore the future of biotechnology products, looking at both the potential for new products to be developed and the tools and expertise that will be needed to evaluate these products. David Rejeski, director of the Synthetic Biology Project and the Wilson Center’s Science and Technology Innovation Program, has been appointed to the expert committee developing the report.

The report, which is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, is expected to release its report in late 2016.

According to the study’s statement of task, the committee will focus on a few key questions: “What will the likely future products of biotechnology be over the next 5-10 years? What scientific capabilities, tools, and/or expertise may be needed by the regulatory agencies to ensure they make efficient and sound evaluations of the likely future products of biotechnology?”

In its final report, the committee will describe the potential advancements and the existing risk analysis system for these products; determine whether the emerging products pose any novel risks; and indicate what capabilities, tools and expertise will be useful to the federal regulatory agencies to address these risks.    

You can read more about the study and sign up for updates here: www.nas.edu/biotech