Minutes, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Advisory Committee, Working Group on Aquatic Biotechnology and Environmental Safety : November 17, 1994.

  • United States. Agricultural Biotechnology Research Advisory Committee. Working Group on Aquatic Biotechnology and Environmental Safety
Date:
[1994]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Minutes, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Advisory Committee, Working Group on Aquatic Biotechnology and Environmental Safety : November 17, 1994. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    occurred between the expiration of the previous ABRAC charter and the renewal of the current charter. He affirmed, however, that ABRAC members should be able to apply for grants under that program because they had not participated in the FY 1995 process. Dr. Kapuscinski questioned whether the ABRAC should have input on future risk assessment solicitations, especially if that participation places them in a conflict situation with respect to applying for grants under the program. Dr. Young pointed out that current legislation requires the risk assessment research program to consult with the ABRAC. Dr. Sederoff and Dr. Pierce suggested that if the ABRAC participation occurs early enough in the development of the solicitation, no conflict of interest should result. Dr. Letourneau asked whether scientists involved in risk assessment research could present their results to the ABRAC. Dr. Young replied that the risk assessment research program has an annual researchers' conference, often in cooperation with EPA, and that an ABRAC meeting might be co-scheduled with one of those conferences. Other Business Dr. Young asked that the ABRAC address two organizational issues; selection of a vice chair and replacement of Dr. Harlander who recently resigned. Dr. Sederoff nominated Dr. Kapuscinski for vice chair. Dr. Kapuscinski thanked the Committee for the nomination and said she would like to think about it before accepting. Dr. Young asked if Dr. Harlander should be replaced by a food scientist or by another kind of specialist. Various members and visitors suggested that Dr. Harlander's slot should be filled by another food scientist, a plant ecologist, a nutritionist, or an ecological population geneticist. After some discussion, the sense of the ABRAC was that a food scientist/nutritionist should be sought for the vacancy on the ABRAC left by Dr. Harlander's resignation. Discussion of Possible New Working Group Dr. Rissler, Union of Concerned Scientists, asked if the process of developing performance standards for aquatic research could be applied to other projects such as the ecological risks of transgenic plants. Drs. Reid and Letourneau and expressed support for this idea and Dr. Reid suggested the formation of an ABRAC working group on this subject. Dr. Marrone. expressed an interest in the ABRAC examining scientific issues associated with genetically engineered arthropods. Dr. Sederoff suggested that the ABRAC was well- positioned to develop performance standards for research with genetically modified arthropods as it had already done for fish and
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