Cornell - Sathguru to deliver premier Global Biosafety Management Program

Hyderabad: The Center for Executive Education (CEE) is set to deliver the Global Biosafety Management Program (GBMP) in March 2010 to discuss the contemporary science, management and regulation of genetically engineered product development and delivery.

Recent breakthroughs in biotechnology research has brought to the world a wide variety of useful agricultural innovations such as nutritionally enhanced crops and genetic modification of plant varieties for greater resistance to pests and diseases, and for increased tolerance to drought and to soils contaminated with high concentrations of salt or heavy metals. While not the magic bullet that can singly solve the complex problems of hunger and poverty, such technologies have the potential to play a major role in alleviating hunger and malnutrition in emerging economies. It is therefore essential to assess the prospects of agricultural biotechnology and set up effective biosafety systems to regulate it.

The concern for the safety of the environment or health resulting from increased biotechnological interventions in the agriculture and food sectors has necessitated the establishment of robust regulatory regimes that are specifically developed to assess the safety of these products. Development of an effective biosafety system is important to protect consumers and the environment as well as to ensure safe access to new products and technologies developed in-country or elsewhere.

An eminent faculty of academics, government policy makers, scientists and regulatory practitioners from industry will guide participants on

-- Best practices in translational research,

-- Regulations for transgenic crop development, commercialization and GM foods,

-- Strategic risk management in transgenic products,

-- Strategies for effective and safe deployment of transgenic biotechnology,

-- Mechanisms for partnerships in safe and useful transgenic research and more through a series of interactive lectures, case studies and panel discussions over the intensive five days of the program.

The program will attract participation from several countries in Asia, Africa and Europe that are active in research, development and delivery of genetically engineered food products.