"This is really very exciting," said Richard Sutch, a distinguished professor of economics and associate director of the Biotechnology Impacts Center. "Everyone talks about the value of interdisciplinary research and of collaboration between the sciences, but this is one of the few projects that takes this seriously. And this is such an important topic. Food is a part of everyone's life, an important expression of one's culture. It is not surprising then that there is a raging debate about genetic engineering that goes beyond the issues of biological science."

A third co-investigator, Bai-Lian (Larry) Li, is a mathematical and theoretical ecologist who is an associate professor of ecology. "The coupling of natural and human systems adds an additional layer of complexity of interactions," said Li, the founding editor of the international journal Ecological Complexity http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecocom). "Understanding must come from the examination of how the two systems operate together."

Sutch added that an understanding of the subject could provide information for important public policy decisions. "We may be able to find ways to control the unintended migration of transgenes and thereby harness the benefits of this new technology," Sutch said. "Alternatively, we may discover that the risk cannot be reduced to acceptable levels for certain combinations of crops and genes."

Steven Angle, dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, stressed the role of UCR's Biotechnology Impacts Center as "an honest broker" in this debate. "The scientists conducting this research have no stake in the policy outcomes," Angle said. They hold no patents on genetically modified plants. The study will provide solid scientific input to inform the public and the policy makers at national and international levels."

Joel Martin, the interim dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and the Social Sciences, said he likes the project's inclusion of several graduate students who will be intimately involved in the multidisciplinary meetings of the group, including at least one international conference in Mexico. "It is rare for graduate students to have an opportunity to participate in a multidisciplinary international research project such as this," said Martin.

The topic of transgene flow is a part of the greater public discussion of genetic engineering and the world's food supply. Biotechnology has the potential of increasing crop yields, lowering production costs, and offering consumers more choices and higher quality at the supermarket. But certain risks have been identified, such as the evolution of new weeds because of contamination with transgenes that make them more difficult to control.

"Recalling genes is more difficult than recalling defective car parts or contaminated meat," said Ellstrand. "Because genes have the opportunity to multiply themselves. We have to find out how to avoid the problem before it happens."

BIOTECHNOLOGY IMPACTS CENTER
University of California, Riverside

Background: As a consequence of the genomics revolution, the creation of new scientific knowledge is occurring at a remarkably fast rate. For wise stewardship of the technologies resulting from this revolution, it is imperative for society to assess the possible outcomes, both positive and negative, of these scientific advances. As decisions are made about the applications of biotechnologies to agriculture, medicine and the environment, policy makers and members of the public need to be armed with sound, science-based information.

Biotechnology holds great promise. The potential of genetically modified organisms to increase agricultural productivity offers hope for feeding the Earth’s growing population and raising nutritional intake among those currently impoverished, as well as potential for improvements in health and the ability to cure and prevent diseases. But, at the beginning of every revolution there are concerns that spring from the uncertainty inherent in any dramatic change.

One of history’s big lessons is that everything in a dynamic world is interrelated, often in complex ways that are not fully perceived in quiet times but are dramatically (sometimes tragically) revealed when the system is disturbed by a sufficiently large shock. It is not surprising then that, despite the promise of agricultural biotechnology to provide plentiful, more nutritious and environmentally sustainable food, thoughtful people have raised serious concerns.

Toward a Solution: The Biotechnology Impacts Center (BIC) is an academic research unit associated with the Institute for Integrative Genome Biology at the University of California, Riverside, with a mission to promote research and education on all aspects of the social, economic, political, environmental, and ethical consequences of the biotechnology revolution. Established in 2001, BIC serves as a forum to identify the relevant policy issues, to act as a clearinghouse for credible information, and to initiate research that addresses the impacts of biotechnology. The result will be an informed dialog among public interest groups, the biotechnology industry, academics, elected officials, and policy makers.

BIC also has an important educational mission to disseminate knowledge and address concerns about new and emerging developments in biotechnology. At both the graduate and undergraduate levels, courses will be available in public policy related to such issues as bioethics, scientific responsibility, and the controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms. The Center hopes to provide modest financial and academic support to graduate students in the humanities, the social sciences, and the life sciences and seeks to encourage and enrich faculty mentoring of graduate students. BIC also encourages the creation of hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate students. Finally, the Center offers a wide variety of additional support services to faculty, students, and the general public. These include a visiting speakers’ forum, a seminar program, a web-based working paper series to disseminate pre-publication findings of ongoing research projects, and conference support.

Leadership: BIC has a dual reporting relationship to both the UCR Institute for Integrative Genome Biology and the UCR Center for Social and Economic Policy. This arrangement serves to keep the Center at an objective distance from the scientific research conducted by the Institute and to recognize the meaningful contribution that social scientists, humanists, business experts, educators, and others can make to inform the responsible use of biotechnology in society.

Related Links:

UC Riverside Biotechnology Impacts Center

The University of California, Riverside is a major research institution and a national center for the humanities. Key areas of research include nanotechnology, genomics, environmental studies, digital arts and sustainable growth and development. With a current undergraduate and graduate enrollment of nearly 17,000, the campus is projected to grow to 21,000 students by 2010. Located in the heart of inland Southern California, the nearly 1,200-acre, park-like campus is at the center of the region's economic development.