Novel biotechnological approaches to produce biological compounds: challenges and opportunities for science communication

Abstract

Novel biotechnological approaches such as Metabolic Engineering (ME) and New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) are currently being developed to produce biological compounds for food and non-food products. NPBTs span a range of methods for in vivo production in crops, some of which are classified as GMOs while others aren't. Deploying such techniques will not only provide new opportunities for industry, but also challenges with respect to the regulatory environment. Similarly, the process of communicating these new techniques and their products to stakeholders and consumers will not be without its own challenges. We argue that scientists should engage more with non-scientists, either directly or through collaborators. These engagements should not only be about the science, we suggest, but also explicitly deal with real world ramifications, such as economic, environmental and social issues.