In view of the upcoming EU proposal of updated rules on plants produced with New Genomic Techniques (NGTs, NBTs), Test Biotech released in 2020 report: “Genetic engeneering endangers the protection of species“.
After briefly introducing the concept of New Genomic Techniques, the document proceeds to situate Genetic Engineering in the context of evolution concluding that:
The biosphere we all inhabit is based on a multidimensional network of interactions. Genetic information is not the only decisive element for the physiological characteristics of organisms, it is also decisive for signalling pathways, behaviour, instincts, their symbioses and the emergence of complex structures within populations, e.g. superorganisms building communities.
There is absolutely no plausibility in the assumption that human intelligence can, with the help of genetic engineering, intervene in the complex foundations of life in a safe and predictable way.
Christoph Then, 2022, p.23
In particular, the authors argue that the precautionary principle should be applied to the introduction of lab- produced organisms in the environment, as risk assessment is unlikely to take into consideration the following aspects of ecosystem evolution:
- genetic stability in following generations,
- interactions with the genetic background, and
- interactions with the environment that effect the genome
(see table below for details).
