Exploring Policy and Regulation of Emerging Biotechnologies For Use In Controlling Pest Populations

Amanda Pierce, Senior Advisor at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Abstract

The U.S. Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology describes the comprehensive federal regulatory policy for ensuring the safety of biotechnology products with the goal of protecting health and the environment without impeding innovation. Under the framework, EPA, FDA, and USDA aim to cover the full range of plants, animals and microorganisms derived from biotechnology in an integrated and coordinated manner. The Office of Pesticide Programs in EPA is responsible for evaluating and ensuring the safety of novel applications of recent discoveries in genetics, molecular biology and other biological disciplines when applied to real world pest control problems – e.g., genetically engineered animals for pest population control and plant-incorporated protectants. In this colloquium, I will explain EPA’s role in the regulation of biotechnology and discuss the development of policies and regulations for emerging technologies.

Speaker Bio

Amanda Pierce is a Senior Advisor in the Emerging Technologies Branch in the Office of Pesticide Programs at EPA where she focuses on advancing ecological risk assessment and policy initiatives for cutting edge biotechnologies within the United States government and internationally. She received her Ph.D. in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution from Emory University. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, Amanda became a AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at EPA where she applied her population genetics expertise to developing risk assessment frameworks for emerging technologies.

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