Anne Ingeborg Myhr

NORCE

The genome editing technology CRISPR is described as a technological game-changer because of its flexibility and precision, and as an ethical game-changer due to its ability to engineer traits in living organisms without crossing species, avoiding a significant objection to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In salmon farming, applications of C...

If genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are approved in the EU for experimental release or marketing authorization (placing on the market), a risk assessment (RA) is carried out beforehand to determine whether this may be associated with negative effects on human health, nature or the environment. Applications are reviewed by the European Food Saf...

Utredningen har fremskaffet et bredt kunnskapsgrunnlag for videre arbeid innen sirkulær økonomi i sjømatnæringen. Arbeidet har identifisert status, kunnskapsbehov, muligheter og utfordringer for at næringen skal nå forventningene om sirkulærøkonomi. Det er store muligheter for økt sirkularitet i norsk sjømatproduksjon, men det er også barrierer/hin...

En del av prosjektet: Utredning av sirkulaerøkonomien i sjømatnaeringen Rapport nr. 10-2023, fra NORCE Klima og miljø.

Mulighetene ved å lage nytt arvestoff i laboratoriet vies mye oppmerksomhet. I 2003 ble polioviruset den første levende organismen som ble syntetisk bygget i et laboratorium. Bidraget beskriver hva syntetisk biologi er og gir eksempler på anvendelses områder samt viser til mulige forskningsetiske problemstillinger. (Publisert første gang 2015. Sist...

New genomic techniques (NGTs) are powerful technologies with the potential to change how we relate to our food, food producers, and natural environment. Their use may affect the practices and values our societies are built on. Like many countries, the EU is currently revisiting its GMO legislation to accommodate the emergence of NGTs. We argue that...

Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) infections are predicted to be the leading cause of death by 2050, with a substantial proportion of these caused by AMR bacterial pathogens. The JPIAMR environmental AMR surveillance network brought together 23 partners from 15 countries to discuss the need for, and necessary approaches to implement a surveillance prog...

In this paper we present a suggestion for a sustainability assessment framework using genome editing of salmon as a case study. The salmon farming industry is facing several challenges hindering sustainable production. Genome editing has entered as a tool that can improve selective breeding and feed ingredients in aquaculture, hence providing solut...

Aquaculture is becoming the primary source of seafood for human diets, and farmed fish aquaculture is one of its fastest growing sectors. The industry currently faces several challenges including infectious and parasitic diseases, reduced viability, fertility reduction, slow growth, escapee fish and environmental pollution. The commercialization of...

In Norway, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are regulated through the Gene Technology Act of 1993, which has received international attention for its inclusion of non-safety considerations. In 2017, the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board triggered a process to revise the Act that included a public consultation and resulted in the “Proposal...

An ethical sustainability matrix can serve as a useful tool for finding and assessing relevant aspects of genetically modified organism (GMOs) regarding their sustainability and ethical justifiability. Here we present a restructured version of the ethical matrix originally proposed by Mepham and discuss its usefulness in technolog y assessment of G...

Novel genome editing techniques allow for efficient and targeted improvement of aquaculture stock and might be a solution to solve challenges related to disease and environmental impacts. This review has retrieved the latest research on genome editing on aquacultured finfish species, exploring the technological progress and the scope. Genome editin...

Here we present the scope and administrative practice of the Norwegian Gene Technology Act. The main focus is on the objective of the environmental risk assessment which acknowledges both direct and indirect effects as well as immediate , delayed and cumulative effects on the environment. We describe the prohibition of two vaccines and seven applic...

This article presents and evaluates arguments supporting that an approval procedure for genome-edited organisms for food or feed should include a broad assessment of societal, ethical and environmental concerns; so-called non-safety assessment. The core of analysis is the requirement of the Norwegian Gene Technology Act that the sustainability, eth...

Genome editing techniques such as the CRISPR system is of high relevance for salmon breeding. Potential applications of genome editing in salmon breeding include disease and parasite resistance, introduced sterility, enhanced growth efficiency and improved quality in taste and nutritional content. At the same time genome editing technologies raise...

In Norway the Gene Technology Act regulates the production and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and it states ‘that the production and use of genetically modified organisms and the production of cloned animals take place in an ethically justifiable and socially acceptable manner, in accordance with the principle of sustainable developm...

New and emerging gene-editing techniques make it possible to target specific genes in species with greater speed and specificity than previously possible. Of major relevance for plant breeding, regulators and scientists are discussing how to regulate products developed using these gene-editing techniques. Such discussions include whether to adopt o...

A number of new animal and plant breeding techniques (NBTs) has been developed, such as the genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. Internationally it is debated if gene-edited organisms should be subjected to the same risk assessment requirements as GMOs. Sweden has decided that gene-edited plants with no foreign genetic element should not count as...

The importance of socio-economic impacts (SEI) from the introduction and use of genetically modified (GM) crops is reflected in increasing efforts to include them in regulatory frameworks. Aiming to identify and understand the present knowledge on SEI of GM crops, we here report the findings from an extensive study of the published international sc...

Synthetic biology has become increasingly important as an approach and a tool to solve societal challenges, such as replacing fossil fuel, and to develop more efficient biological compounds, new applications for bioremediation, a platform for more efficient vaccine intervention and to improve drug targeting. As the potential of the technology and t...

DNA vaccines have great potential as preventive or therapeutic vaccines against viral, bacterial, or parasitic diseases as well as cancer, and may also be used as gene therapy products. Although many human and veterinary DNA vaccines have been investigated in laboratory trials, only four of these have been approved for commercial use. In this paper...

The aquaculture industry is under pressure to satisfy global demand for marine foods. Atlantic salmon has been bred for more than forty years, and substantial progress has been made within the culturing and breeding programs. The improved growth rate of Atlantic salmon has been accompanied by an earlier onset of maturation. Among the factors contro...

Marine bioprospecting offers possibilities for sustainable innovation based on marine genetic resources. How to regulate the use of such marine genetic resources entails several challenges. The rationale for the introduction of legislation on access and benefit sharing (ABS) from the use of genetic resources is elaborated using Norway as a case. Si...

The long-term persistence and activity of a naked plasmid DNA (pGL3-35S) containing a luc gene (reporter gene) controlled by a plant 35S CaMV promoter was studied in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) after injection. Atlantic salmon (mean weight 70 grams) were injected intramuscularly with 100 μg of plasmid DNA. Blood, different tissues and organs w...

The importance of assessing socio-economic and sustainability aspects of genetically modified (GM) crops is increasingly recognized by policy-makers, both within the EU and internationally. Nevertheless, experience has shown that it is challenging to assess and implement these aspects in actual decision-making processes. This paper argues that stak...

Socio-economic considerations are included in the regulatory frameworks on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) of many countries. This is a reflection of an increasing interest in and recognition of the necessity to consider a broader range of issues when conducting a GMO risk assessment. At the same time, there are discussions about how socio-ec...

This report presents the outcome of a stakeholder workshop that took place in Stange, Norway, June 2015. Participants were invited to discuss ethical and social considerations in relation to the possible marketing and cultivation of late blight resistant (LBR) cisgenic genetically modified (GM) potato in Norway. An important aim of the workshop was...

This report provides a detailed discussion of uncertainties, knowledge gaps and research needs related to the potential use and introduction of GMOs. It covers GM plants, antibiotic resistance marker genes, GM vaccines, gene therapy and medicinal products containing or consisting of GMOs, as well as GM microorganisms, GM trees and GM salmon. GMOs a...

div> Current trends in ELSA policies are marked by keywords like collaboration, integration and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This article analyzes how these trends have manifested themselves in Norway with the aim to find ways to understand and respond adequately to these policy developments. Recent criticisms of ELSA strategies accom...

Polioviruset er forholdvis lite, det komplette arvestoffet består av kun 7741 DNA basepar. I 2010 ble det første bakteriekromosomet gjenskapt ut fra datafiler som beskrev arvestoffet til en bakterie kalt Mycoplasma mycoides. Denne bakterien kalles populaert for Synthia viser at forskere nå kan gjenskape DNA og sette det inn i en celle slik at det f...

Utviklingen og forskningen innen moderne bioteknologi og genteknologi spenner over et stort område fra stamcelle-forskning og utvikling av medisinske gentester til bruk av genmodifiserte planter, mikroorganismer (inkludert virus) og dyr. Moderne bioteknologi kan gi nye løsninger for en rekke områder som helsevesen, matvareproduksjon og rettsvesen....

Exploitation of the extensive Norwegian marine resources has entered the era of modern biotechnology. The sources of knowledge of both bioprospecting and aquaculture are often genetic resources, considered to be common or public goods. Here, a selection of views on IPR and access regulation in certain areas of aquaculture and marine bioprospecting...

The importance of, but also challenges related to, assessing socio-economic impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops is receiving increasing attention among policymakers both within the EU and internationally. The Norwegian Gene Technology Act (1993) was one of the first legal frameworks for GMOs in the world with specific criteria for the assess...

Socio-economic considerations (SECs) are included in many countries regulation frameworks on genetically modified organisms (GMO). At the same time, there are discussions about how to capture SEC and ethical impacts and how to implement assessment. With the intention to recognise the advances done so far, we present some important characteristics a...

In a Norwegian context, the cultivation of oilseed rape (OSR; Brassica napus and Brassica rapa) is limited and challenged by geography, climate, insects and fungus-related pathogens. Quantitatively, the cultivation of OSR in Norway is rather small when compared to the yearly production and cultivation in Europe. In Norway, OSR is mainly used in fee...

Tørråte regnes som den mest alvorlige sykdommen på potet verden over. Europeiske forskningsinstitusjoner arbeider med å utvikle genmodifisert potet med økt tørråteresistens. Dette er et eksempel på en GM-plante som kan vise seg å være svært aktuell for norsk landbruk, spesielt sett i lys av dagens situasjon hvor tørråte bekjempes ved omfattende bru...

This article criticizes recent suggestions that the current ELSI research field should accommodate a new direction towards a 'post-ELSI' agenda. Post-ELSI research seeks to avoid the modernist division of responsibility for technical and social issues said to characterize ELSI research. Collaboration and integration are consequently the key terms o...

: DNA vaccinations against fish viral diseases as IHNV at commercial level in Canada against VHSV at experimental level are both success stories. DNA vaccination strategies against many other viral diseases have, however, not yet yielded sufficient results in terms of protection. There is an obvious need to combat many other viral diseases within a...

The Ethics of Animal Recreation and Modification studies philosophical and ethical issues arising from new technological possibilities to repair the loss of animal diversity. Several research groups are currently working toward re-creating extinct animals such as the woolly mammoth by the methods of modern genomic technology and of selective breedi...

Kronikk Forskning på GMO må vaere åpen og uavhengig Å trekke en konklusjon om at genmodifisert mat er 100 prosent trygt er nesten umulig. Vi trenger mer åpenhet rundt forskning som utføres av produsentene, skriver Anne Ingeborg Myhr i denne kronikken. fungerende direktør i GenØk – Senter for biosikkerhet Onsdag 06. november 2013 kl. 05:00 Anne Inge...

Climate change and increased global population give rise to a special emphasis on how agriculture can expand production under changing conditions. Agriculture has also seen radical changes the last century with a turn towards research-based, industrialized agriculture with large scale monocultures, mechanisation, increased irrigation, use of artifi...

There is currently limited knowledge about the effects of introducing genetically modified (GM) crops into smallholder farming or about how biosafety requirements are interpreted and adopted by smallholders. A case study was conducted on introduction of GM (Bt) maize to South African smallholders. The results reveal low general awareness about agri...

Innovation's potential to deliver food security and solve other agriculture-related problems is high on the agenda of virtually all nations. This chapter looks at two different examples of food and agricultural innovation: genetically modified (GM) crops and agroecological methods, which illustrate how different innovation strategies affect future...

Background The knowledge of scientific dishonesty is scarce and heterogeneous. Therefore this study investigates the experiences with and the attitudes towards various forms of scientific dishonesty among PhD-students at the medical faculties of all Norwegian universities. Method Anonymous questionnaire distributed to all post graduate students at...

Ecological economics provides a research field for critical reflection on relationships between the economy and the life–sustaining ecosystems. With focus on strong uncertainty, irreversibility, strong sustainability, precautionary approaches and ethical complexity, ecological economics differs from the approach of environmental economics and share...

The assessment of the impacts of growing genetically modified (GM) crops remains a major political and scientific challenge in Europe. Concerns have been raised by the evidence of adverse and unexpected environmental effects and differing opinions on the outcomes of environmental risk assessments (ERA). The current regulatory system is hampered by...

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7984.2012v11n20p171 Invenções científicas e tecnologias, como a nanotecnologia, interagem com sistemas ecológicos e sociais complexos em vários níveis e têm o potencial de causar consequências ímpares e sem precedentes. Isso traz desafios para abordagens de avaliação de risco convencionais, as quais pressupõem que nã...

The complexities of the socio-ecological systems of Arctic nature and communities challenge the science community and policy makers to take into account the interactions between economic development, ecological systems, and living conditions. Strong uncertainties regarding the extent of climate change impacts and their irreversible consequences amp...

Norwegian fish farming is currently world leading both in quantity and in employing new technologies. Within Norway, aquaculture has become a large industry and represents a new way of income along the coast. However, the growth of aquaculture in Norway has been accompanied by controversy related both to potentially harmful internal effects on the...

The assessment of the impacts of growing genetically modified (GM) crops remains a major political and scientific challenge in Europe. Concerns have been raised by the evidence of adverse and unexpected environmental effects and differing opinions on the outcomes of environmental risk assessments (ERA). The current regulatory system is hampered by...

Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal producing sector in the world and is expected to play an important role in global food supply. Along with this growth, concerns have been raised about the environmental effects of escapees and pollution, fish welfare, and consumer health as well as the use of marine resources for producing fish feed. In thi...

The diversity of nanotechnologies and of the governance challenges that their applications raise calls for exploration and learning across different cases. We present an Upstream Oversight Assessment (UOA) of expected benefits and potential harms of nanoparticles made of a synthetic polymer (PLGA) to improve vaccines for farmed salmon. Suggested by...

Nanoparticles have multifaceted advantages in drug administration as vaccine delivery and hence hold promises for improving protection of farmed fish against diseases caused by pathogens. However, there are concerns that the benefits associated with distribution of nanoparticles may also be accompanied with risks to the environment and health. The...

The future of salmon aquaculture depends on the adoption of alternative feed resources in order to reduce the need for fish meal and fish oil. This may include resources such as species from lower trophic levels, by-products and by-catch from fisheries and aquaculture, animal by-products, plants, genetically modified (GM) plants, nutritionally enha...

The commercial introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has revealed a broad range of views among scientists and other stakeholders on perspectives of genetic engineering (GE) and if and how GMOs should be regulated. Within this controversy, the precautionary principle has become a contentious issue with high support from skeptical gro...

Many interpretations of the precautionary principle do not provide a basis for adequate decision-making in regard to ecological and ethical questions. The article disagrees with the opinion that the precautionary principle is not scientific and gives reasons for an enlargement of scientific methods. The author agitates for an argumentative use of t...

The controversy over commercial releases of genetically modified (GM) crops demonstrates that there is a need for new approaches that are more broadly based, transparent and able to acknowledge the uncertainties involved. This article investigates whether new forms of knowledge production as prescribed in the concept of post-normal science can impr...

The controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been a highly politicized issue in Europe. While opponents of GM crops maintain that scientific risk assessments are not sufficient to address potential long‐term hazards for health or the environment, proponents have criticized the current regulatory framework for being influenc...

Deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may contribute to sustainable development, world food supplies and economic prosperity. On the other hand, environmental release may initiate serious, irreversible ecological damage. In this article we discuss the scientific basis for regulation of GMO use, and to which extent present risk...

In this expert elicitation twelve Norwegian scientists were interviewed about environmental and health consequences of DNA vaccination in aquaculture. The intention was to elicit scientists’ judgments of potential sources of uncertainty associated with the use of DNA vaccines. Emphasis was put on three incidents: i) immune response following the DN...

The Walker and Harremoës (W&H) uncertainty framework is a tool to systematically identify scientific uncertainty. We applied the W&H uncertainty framework to elicit scientists' judgements of potential sources of uncertainty associated with the use of DNA vaccination in aquaculture. DNA vaccination is considered a promising solution to combat pathol...

En stor del av dagens forskningsaktivitet er knyttet til utvikling av ny tekno- logi. Teknologiutvikling anses gjerne som et gode, fordi den bidrar til økt eller ny bruk av naturlige ressurser til beste for menneskers generelle levekår og helse, samt miljøet og samfunnet som helhet. Bruk av ny teknologi innebærer imidlertid også risiko for uønskede...

In this study our aim was to investigate the persistence and distribution of plasmid DNA in Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon (mean weight 70 g) were injected with 100 microg of plasmid DNA in 100 microl of phosphate buffered saline. The fish were reared in running fresh water at temperature 0-12 degrees C and injections were performed at 8 degrees...

Genetically engineered viruses (GEVs) used as live vaccines are, and will increasingly become, important for prevention of disease in human as well as animal populations. Poxviruses have a number of attractive theoretical and practical advantages as gene expressing vaccine vectors: their large genomes render construction of multivalent vaccines fea...

How much is a wildflower worth? Inspired by “The worth of a songbird” by Funtowicz and Ravetz [Funtowicz, S.O., Ravetz, J.R., 1994. The worth of a songbird: ecological economics as a post-normal science. Ecological Economics 10, 197–207] we use the value of a wildflower as symbol of the complexity of evaluating environmental qualities and risks. We...

There is a growing demand for fish and marine products for human and animal consumption. This demand has led to the rapid growth of aquaculture, which sometimes has been accompanied by an economic loss due to fish escape and diseases. Genetic engineering (GE) strategies, as edible vaccines and DNA vaccines may offer a technological solution for som...

Within aquaculture, genetic engineering (GE) is emerging as a powerful method for breeding of fish and shellfish, and for developing alternative sources of feed and vaccines to combat diseases. On the other hand, the use of GE in aquaculture raises ecological, ethical and economic concerns. For instance, genetically modified (GM) feed could be spre...

Science is the basis for governance of risk from genetically modified organisms (GMO), and it is also a primary source of legitimacy for policy decision. However, recently the publication of unexpected results has caused controversies and challenged the way in which science should be performed, be published in scientific journals, and how prelimina...

This paper reviews problems connected to the use of the deep-sea and sub-sea geological formations for carbon sequestration. We will focus on the risks and dangers involved in using this kind of large-scale engineering approach, which is not yet fully tested, to combat global warming. We will not provide a complete discussion on the technologies in...

The main purpose of The NorwegianGene Technology Act (1993) is to enforcecontainment of genetically modified organisms(GMOs) and control of GMO releases.Furthermore, the Act intends to ensure that``production and use of GMOs should take placein an ethically and socially justifiable way,in accordance with the principle of sustainabledevelopment and...

Risk governance of GM plants and GMfood products is presently subject to heatedscientific and public controversies. Scientistsand representatives of the biotechnologyindustry have dominated debates concerningsafety issues. The public is suspicious withregard to the motives of scientists, companies,and political institutions involved. Thedilemmas po...

Commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have sparked profound controversies concerning adequate approaches to risk regulation. Scientific uncertainty and ambiguity, omitted research areas, and lack of basic knowledge crucial to risk assessmentshave become apparent. The objective of this article is to discuss the policy and practi...

Deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may contribute to sustainable development, world food supplies and economic prosperity. On the other hand, environmental release may initiate serious, irreversible ecological damage. In this article we discuss the scientific basis for regulation of GMO use, and to which extent present risk...