Communicating Gene Editing Technology to an Anti-GMO Public.

The development of novel recombinant DNA techniques in the early 1980s led to public angst due in part to new technologies which were beyond the scope of understanding by the general public.  In 1986, the United States developed the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology in order to establish oversight of the biotechnology being applied to plant genetic engineering.  The Framework established the USDA, the US EPA, and the Food and Drug Administration as having responsibility to establish policies with extant laws. The focus was on inter-specific or inter-genera gene introductions largely through biolistics or Agrobacterium-mediation.  Since 1986, a number of new technologies, collectively known as gene editing, have developed which primarily utilize an organism’s own DNA to effect specific phenotypes. These technologies may not be subject to the same regulatory processes as techniques which use recombinant DNA.  Such techniques are applicable to landscape plants, including grasses that may be used for sport, lawn and utility turf.  The rapid evolution of such technologies, combined with a public fearful of genetic modification, has the potential to create additional public anxiety and stifle innovation.  Proper public communication of the technologies, understandable at the high school level, along with well-defined, acceptable terminology is critical for public acceptance of products derived from gene editing.