Source: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE submitted to NRP
INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0195586
Grant No.
2003-34191-13127
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2004-06264
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2003
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2006
Grant Year
2004
Program Code
[DE]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
(N/A)
BLACKSBURG,VA 24061
Performing Department
BIOCHEMISTRY
Non Technical Summary
ISB supports the research community by providing information about agbiotech research and product development, biotechnology regulations, and environmental issues associated with small and large-scale releases of genetically modified organisms. ISB provides searchable databases, documents and resource lists on the Internet, a monthly News Report, custom software to assist in risk assessment and risk management, and printed publications. To keep the public, regulatory and research community apprised of research and regulatory developments, and to provide information resources to support the environmentally responsible use of agricultural biotechnology products.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
9032499303075%
9033999303025%
Goals / Objectives
Special projects for 2003: 1.Symposium: Future Directions and Research Priorities for the USDA's Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program. The purpose of the symposium is to provide a forum for Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants (BRARG) Program stakeholders to assist in determining the future direction of research funding for the Program. The symposium will examine the risk assessment research needs in agricultural biotechnology for the next five years. 2. Workshop: Examining the validity of quantitative risk assessment based on net fitness components. Using the model developed by William Muir, academic scientists, corporations, and government regulatory agencies will examine the applicability of the model to plant populations. 3. Workshop: Survey of Risk Assessment Models for Transgenic Organisms. The development of useful risk assessment models depends on integrating state of the science techniques from risk assessment models with the biological diversity encompassed with transgenic organisms. 4. A study to determine the feasibility of developing a database characterizing natural variation in plant characteristics affecting gene flow. Initially focusing on a single taxon (e.g., grasses or trees), we will gather information from databases and literature on plant characterisitcs that affect gene flow. The following items are ongoing activities well established by the ISB program: 5. Continue to expand and upgrade the ISB Web site (http://www.isb.vt.edu). The ISB Web site continues to be one of the Internet's most comprehensive sources of information about agricultural biotechnology in the U.S. ISB makes available an updated list of international sites carrying field test information in other countries. 6. Continue to publish the ISB News Report. Each issue contains a selection of original articles reporting research news drawn from the scientific literature, as well as regular features on industry news, regulatory and legal issues, international developments, and Internet resources. Over 2600 subscribers worldwide receive the report, with a secondary distribution estimated at three times that number, based on reader surveys.
Project Methods
1. Symposium: Future Directions and Research Priorities for the USDA's Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program A report will be produced to assist in developing a strategic plan for the program. The symposium will be held June 9 -10 in Washington, DC. In conjunction with this symposium, ISB will compile an annotated bibliography of information on risks and benefits of transgenic organisms to be given to participants prior to the symposium. The initial effort will target peer-reviewed literature, and a subsequent phase will compile information from available unpublished reports. 2. Workshop: Examining the validity of quantitative risk assessment based on net fitness components. The second workshop in the series will examine the applicability of the Muir-Howard model to plant populations. The workshop will be organized along the same lines as the first. A further round of refinement of the model will take place prior to the final meeting, to be held the following year. 3. Workshop: Survey of Risk Assessment Models for Transgenic Organisms. Phase One will consist of a survey to determine the number and quality of existing models that are applicable. Phase Two would provide a forum in which risk assessors developing new techniques for quantifying risk and biologists from academia, government and industry involved in developing risk assessment models for transgenic organisms will meet to determine whether new developments in risk assessment modeling apply to transgenic organisms. 4. Study: Determine the feasibility of developing a database characterizing natural variation in plant characteristics affecting gene flow. Initially focusing on a single taxon (e.g., grasses or trees), we will gather information from databases and literature on plant characterisitcs that affect gene flow. 5. Expand and upgrade the Web site. ISB will continue to expand and improve the Web site contents, appearance, and functionality while maintaining the focus on biotechnology research issues and emphasis on risk assessment and risk management. 6. Publish the ISB News Report. The News Report is a twelve page monthly publication containing articles obtained from a wide variety of sources. Pertinent news releases and announcements are gathered from government, industry, and news agency sources. Articles are contributed by regular ISB contract writers, solicited from scientists who contribute reviews of their research in various disciplines of agricultural biotechnology, or written by ISB staff. Articles written by leading professionals from the academic, corporate, regulatory, and public sectors provide a balanced, multi-perspective look at complex and sometimes controversial subjects. Two Special Issues on Internet Resources and International Issues have been recently published and were well received.

Progress 07/01/03 to 06/30/06

Outputs
At the request of USDA/CSREES, Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) conducted a symposium titled "Future Directions and Research Priorities for the USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program". The symposium provided stakeholders a forum to assist in determining future research funding areas and examined the risk assessment needs for the next five years to develop a cohesive strategy for funding issues of greatest concern and examine research needs in the areas of insects, fish, trees and animal research risk assessment. Funding was obtained from five other sources. ISB also sponsored a workshop to examine the validity of quantitative risk assessment based on net fitness components. Participants examined an empirical model designed to determine whether genetically modified animals introduced into the environment would result in population increase or decrease and therefore pose a potential risk. ISB also sponsored a workshop titled "Evaluation of Agricultural Biotechnology Research for Its Potential Use in Terrorist Activities Directed Against U.S. Agriculture", again at the request of USDA/CSREES and partially funded by a separate grant. The workshop offered an opportunity to factor input from the plant pathology and veterinary science research communities into the long-term Federal response to an NRC report, to develop defensive measures against threats to agricultural biosecurity, and to update CSREES policy and procedures for assuring that biotechnology research in agriculture is performed in a safe and appropriate manner. ISB continued to upgrade and expand its web site (http://www.isb.vt.edu) by expanding the information contained within the ISB GMO field test database and petitions for deregulation database and to cross-index the two. The ISB monthly News Report continued to report on timely topics of interest to the agricultural and environmental biotechnology research, regulatory and business communities.

Impacts
Recommendations from the Risk Assessment Research Grants symposium identified areas of concern and contributed to determining which risk assessment projects should be funded by the program. The workshop on biosecurity raised issues which were further examined by CSREES and taken under consideration in policy-making decisions and forms modification. The ISB web site and News Report act as a clearinghouse for the agbiotech research community to disseminate research results, risk assessment issues and regulatory policy changes to the community as a whole.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
Information Systems for Biotechnology (ISB) acts as a clearinghouse for information pertaining to agricultural and environmental biotechnology research. One of two important objectives of ISB is to add value to existing information; the other objective is to develop recommendations through workshops, conferences and symposia. Under the first objective, ISB maintains a web site (http://www.isb.vt.edu) that makes available data to any interested party. The ISB web site is the repository of the only easily searchable database of field tests of genetically modified plants available online and worldwide. This database is routinely updated with the latest records as provided by APHIS. The database format was re-structured to reflect changes in APHIS's database. In addition, new records are added to the petitions for deregulation database from APHIS. These two databases have been linked for easier reference between the two. The ISB News Report continues to provide to any interested party information concerning, among other areas, scientific, regulatory and legal developments in agbiotech research. A database of worldwide field tests and a list of links to other relevant web sites are also routinely kept current. Under the second objective, ISB co-sponsored through funding and in-kind services a workshop specifically requested by CSREES, entitled 'Workshop to Evaluate Agricultural Research for Its Potential Use in Terrorist Activities'. Additional printings of ISB's publications were ordered to fulfill continuing demand. Work has begun on updating the publication 'A Practical Guide to Containment: Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes' to incorporate the latest developments in that area.

Impacts
The overall impact remains the same. The online field test and petitions for deregulation databases receive high marks from government, industry, academia and NGOs for providing valuable information in a timely, easily obtainable manner, with over 21000 searches performed thus far in 2005. The News Report continues to attract new subscribers, now numbering over 2300, daily from over 45 countries. The information in the News Report is designed to assist researchers worldwide in furthering their own work in a safe and effective manner.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04

Outputs
To increase awareness and accessibility of peer-reviewed journal articles with data addressing environmental and ecological impacts of transgenic organisms, Information Systems for Biotechnology compiled an annotated bibliography with abstracts. Science Citation Index was queried using a series of broad search terms. Abstracts were sorted into three categories: data papers (empirical or theoretical), issue papers (no data), and papers on other topics. ISB is co-sponsoring and organizing a workshop on biosecurity issues affecting USDA's field testing procedures to be held in March 2005. A steering committee has been meeting, participants have been invited, and an agenda is being finalized. ISB continues to publish a monthly News Report containing articles addressing new research with plants, animals and microorganisms, regulatory affairs business developments, new technology, upcoming meetings and other events. The web site continues to provide bi-weekly updates to the database of US field tests, international field test resources, monthly updates to agbiotech-related meetings, links to agbiotech web sites, and other items. The web site has been updated to include a searchable cross-index between the field tests and the petitions they support.

Impacts
The workshops sponsored by ISB critically examine potential risks associated with the research and development of transgenic organisms, evaluate possible tools to assist in mitigating those risks, and assist in identifying critical areas for risk identification and management funding and the ISB project is the only source for efficiently searching the USDA/APHIS database of field test permits. The workshops and publications produced through ISB, often with funding from other sources, have received high marks on evaluations by attendees and participants. The News Report is committed to providing unbiased information concerning agbiotech research developments funded by the Federal Government. ISB has become a source of information locating resources or information not readily available elsewhere.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period


Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03

Outputs
This grant, initiated in June, 2003, funds work that is a continuation of that funded by grant number 4-28927. Information Systems for Biotechnology provides information about agricultural biotechnology research developments to any interested party. ISB has developed and improved a web-based prototype of the complex model for testing by researchers. The model can be accessed at http://www.isb.vt.edu/nfca/nfca1.cfm. ISB continues to publish a monthly News Report containing articles addressing new research with plants, animals and microorganisms, regulatory affairs business developments, new technology, upcoming meetings and other events. The web site continues to provide bi-weekly updates to the database of US field tests, international field test resources, monthly updates to agbiotech-related meetings, links to agbiotech web sites, and other items. The web site has been updated to include a searchable cross-index between the field tests and the petitions they support.

Impacts
The workshops sponsored by ISB critically examine potential risks associated with the research and development of transgenic organisms, evaluate possible tools to assist in mitigating those risks, and assist in identifying critical areas for risk identification and management funding and the ISB project is the only source for efficiently searching the USDA/APHIS database of field test permits. The workshops and publications produced through ISB, often with funding from other sources, have received high marks on evaluations by attendees and participants. The News Report is committed to providing unbiased information concerning agbiotech research developments funded by the Federal Government. ISB has become a source of information locating resources or information not readily available elsewhere.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period