ICMAM 2012 - 12th International Symposium on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms 2012

12th International Symposium on Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms (ISBGMO12)
Millennium Hotel, St Louis, Missouri, USA
17-20 September 2012

The ISBGMO is a unique opportunity for scientists from across the globe to share experiences and engage in open and meaningful dialogue about biosafety.

Participants include scientists involved in biosafety research and policy, including regulatory authorities, technology developers, academics, non-government organizations, and other credible stakeholders.

The discussion at this ISBGMO12 will be focused on a theme: CONSIDERING BIOSAFETY IN THE APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

Under this theme, presentations and posters in the sessions, mini-symposia, and workshops will potentially address such timely topics, as they relate to biosafety:

New approaches in genetic engineering
Genetically engineered animals/insects
Biotechnology and climate change
Biotechnology and biofuels/energy
Biotechnology for developing countries
Transferring data for risk assessment across environments
Genetically engineered crops and agricultural sustainability
Post-market monitoring
Defining protection goals for risk assessment
Defining the receiving environment
Understanding environmental fate
Key discussions under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Effective capacity building for biotechnology regulation
And others...
The ISBGMO is a bienniel international meeting organized by the International Society for Biosafety Research (ISBR), a society whose membership is composed of individuals with an interest in risk assessment and research related to the environmental risks associated with genetically modified organisms (http://www.isbr.info/).

The ISBGMOs have been offered on a biennial basis since 1990, at various locations throughout the world, including most recently in Argentina (2010), New Zealand (2008), South Korea (2006), France (2004), China(2002), Canada (2000). The 2012 symposium in St. Louis will be the first time it has been offered in the US since it was held in Monterey, CA in 1994.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, whose mission and goals are closely tied to the theme of ISBGMO12, is the local host for this symposium. The Danforth Center is a not-for-profit research institute, where scientists engage in research that strives to enhance the nutritional content of plants, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizer, develop new and sustainable biofuels, and generate scientific ideas and technologies that will contribute to the economic growth of the St. Louis region.To further the goals of enhanced nutritional content and increased agricultural production, research is channeled through the Center’s Office of International Programs (OIP). Through partnerships in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the OIP pursues a worldwide collaborative research approach to develop novel varieties that can improve the lives of subsistence farmers in developing countries. (www.danforthcenter.org)