Difference between revisions of "Team:Paris Bettencourt/Sustainability/Acceptance"
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− | <h1 class="date one"> Law : </h1> | + | <h1 class="date one"> Introduction : </h1> |
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+ | Our project has a lot of paramaters that need to be precised because of the impact it can have. This is why, for our project, we decided to involve authorities in India along with Indian citizen to understand how they perceive our work and what were their concerns, comments and questions. | ||
+ | <h1 class="date two"> Law : </h1> | ||
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During our iGEM experience, we had to contact lawmakers and assess what they were thinking about our project. | During our iGEM experience, we had to contact lawmakers and assess what they were thinking about our project. | ||
For that, we contacted the FSSAI, the Food Safety and Standard Authority in India, and we had a quick reply from Dr. | For that, we contacted the FSSAI, the Food Safety and Standard Authority in India, and we had a quick reply from Dr. | ||
− | A. K. Sharma, the consultant of the FSSAI on the behalf of the Chairperson and CEO of FSSAI. He advised us to make sure | + | A. K. Sharma, the consultant of the FSSAI on the behalf of the Chairperson and CEO of FSSAI. He advised us to make sure we chose the right microorganisms so they can survive and work together, along with the use of critical genes for the vitamins pathways. For the law, he said that there is currently no authorisation for GMO microorganisms in the Indian Food regulation and if we want to have our product in India, the safety needs to be established. |
− | we chose the right microorganisms so they can survive and work together, along with the use of critical genes for the | + | |
− | vitamins pathways. For the law, he said that there is currently no authorisation for GMO microorganisms in the Indian | + | |
− | Food | + | |
− | regulation and if we want to have our product in India, the safety needs to be established. | + | |
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Sunita Grover, the principal scientist and head of the Dairy Microbiology Division at the National Dairy Research | Sunita Grover, the principal scientist and head of the Dairy Microbiology Division at the National Dairy Research | ||
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use of genetically modified bacteria. Again, she showed her concerns about the compatibility of the different species | use of genetically modified bacteria. Again, she showed her concerns about the compatibility of the different species | ||
living in fermentation batter and how we need to make sure they can live alltogether. To finish, her major | living in fermentation batter and how we need to make sure they can live alltogether. To finish, her major | ||
− | concern is safety. According to Sunita Grover, our project needs to undergo phase I and II trials, to assess safety and | + | concern is safety. According to Sunita Grover, our project needs to undergo phase I and II trials, to assess safety and scientifically proven health benefits. |
− | scientifically proven health benefits. | + | |
− | + | ||
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Finally, we had the chance to interview Samir K. Brahmachari, the former director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India. He participated to our first workshop during the NightScience and we met him again at the 2nd Annual Open Source Pharma Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Regarding the law, there is no GM microorganisms that are allowed because of the use of antibiotic markers that makes them unsafe to eat. But if we can add a safe vitamin pathway on already eaten bacteria (lactic bacteria for example) that will be sterilized but producing enough vitamin to fortify the food, it should be possible. For him, regulatory issues can undergo changes. Concerning the GMO debate in Europe and India, the main points are different: in India, people don't want GMO to be associated with farmers, they don't want them to be dependant and no one want a monopoly of a particular plant. This issues doesn't apply to our project for Samir Brahmachari, but labelling would be an problem: the use of our product only depends of people wish. If people find it beneficial and safe, they would take it. To continue, an accelerated evolution can be more acceptable for a project like ours for the GMO regulation. Also, since our project doesn't imply a big company producing and giving a product, it is more likely to work and be more accepted, as well as the way we want to implement it (give power to people, let them have their own "mini-lab" and produce their bacteria and yeast for their consumption) according to him. | Finally, we had the chance to interview Samir K. Brahmachari, the former director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India. He participated to our first workshop during the NightScience and we met him again at the 2nd Annual Open Source Pharma Conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Regarding the law, there is no GM microorganisms that are allowed because of the use of antibiotic markers that makes them unsafe to eat. But if we can add a safe vitamin pathway on already eaten bacteria (lactic bacteria for example) that will be sterilized but producing enough vitamin to fortify the food, it should be possible. For him, regulatory issues can undergo changes. Concerning the GMO debate in Europe and India, the main points are different: in India, people don't want GMO to be associated with farmers, they don't want them to be dependant and no one want a monopoly of a particular plant. This issues doesn't apply to our project for Samir Brahmachari, but labelling would be an problem: the use of our product only depends of people wish. If people find it beneficial and safe, they would take it. To continue, an accelerated evolution can be more acceptable for a project like ours for the GMO regulation. Also, since our project doesn't imply a big company producing and giving a product, it is more likely to work and be more accepted, as well as the way we want to implement it (give power to people, let them have their own "mini-lab" and produce their bacteria and yeast for their consumption) according to him. | ||
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− | <h1 class="date | + | <h1 class="date three"> Indian Citizen Acceptance : </h1> |
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− | When asked if they would try our idea of adding vitamin-producing bacteria, most of the people said they would try it, as long as it is | + | When asked if they would try our idea of adding vitamin-producing bacteria, most of the people said they would try it, as long as it is harmless for human health and proven efficient. We noticed that a slight change in the making of the recipe was not a concern about the participants; a step such as adding a little cube or powder in the recipe doesn't raise issue, as long as the taste is not modified (around half of the persons said that a change in the taste for the worse would be definitely not accepted). |
+ | <h1 class="date four"> Conclusion : </h1> | ||
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+ | The main concerns raised were definitely about safety, either from professionals or from citizens. In our project, we used antibiotic markers and we plan to remove them if the project go on to make it safer for consumption. The use of a microorganisms that will be steamed is also a way of making sure that there is an active sterilization and this is why idli was our first choice for the project. Food grade vector are also a good solution to ensure safety, and we consider using it if it can work with our vitamin pathways, and maybe get easily to the clinical trials. | ||
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Revision as of 20:57, 18 September 2015