Scientists Sound the Alarm Over Outdoor Gene Editing Pesticides

We’re used to gene editing being something that’s done in controlled and contained conditions in the lab, with just the final product being unleashed in the environment. But coming down the pipeline are pesticides designed to “edit” the genes of organisms out of doors, in the uncontrolled conditions of the open environment. Applied by spraying, irrigation, or via soil pellets, these outdoor-use genetic pesticides are claimed to be more environmentally friendly than chemical pesticides.

The problem is that these genetic pesticides could also “edit” the genes of what scientists call non-target organisms – i.e. people, animals, and insects in the environment could become collateral damage. “Editing” these organisms’ genes means silencing or disrupting their normal functioning. And the deregulation of gene editing that is occurring and being aggressively promoted around the globe means that these products could be used in open fields with no prior risk assessment, traceability, or monitoring.

Sounding the alarm about this “Wild West” scenario is a new study by an international team of scientists. The study, based on computer predictive modelling, found that exposure to a CRISPR/Cas gene-editing pesticide could unintentionally alter the genes of a wide assortment of non-target organisms, with potentially serious or even fatal consequences. And leading the list of potential victims of unintended gene editing are humans.