Need optimization and regulation of biotechnology 

(MainsGS3:Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.)

Context:

• The Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the National Genome Editing & Training Centre (NGETC) at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) in Mohali, Punjab, in January 2023.

Significant implication:

• The Union Minister also inaugurated the International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security (IFANS), which was organised to discuss the country’s venture into food enhancement and security, and genomic editing, which is a collaborative effort between NABI, the Centre for innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), and the International Institute of Plant Biotechnology.
• With the implementation of organisations like NABI and the focus on genetics and epigenetics in the current National Biotechnology Development Strategy, India has seen a resurgence in its focus on bioengineering and genomic editing.
• Genomic editing under these programmes overlooks plant modification for food enhancement, reduced climate impact, and food resilience. 
• One significant implication of genomic editing is the editing of live organisms, like insects, which can be used for many different purposes, including healthcare.

Genetic engineering:

• Genetic engineering is a field of research that covers the genome construction of all living creatures, from plants to animals. 
• ]These engineering forms rely on genetic manipulation that may include Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN), Transcriptional Activator-like Effector Nucleases (TALEN), and the more popularly known Clusters of Regularly Spaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR). 
• These have emerged as programmable nucleases, making genome manipulation a frequently relied upon process for its many uses.
• That is, genetically modified insects can be used in pest control, disease control, ecological impact, and even human impact.

CRISPR technology:

• CRISPR technology has implications beyond possible warfare in multiple fields of research, ranging from agriculture, food production, biotechnology, food enhancement, and medicine. 
• Recently, CRISPR technology has been used increasingly in insects, including moths and butterflies, for their economic benefits in silk production. 
• It has also been used to enhance insect genomes for pest control in agriculture without negatively affecting non-pest insects. 
• Mosquitoes, specifically, are genetically enhanced for their ability to target insect-borne diseases.

Insects in warfare:

• The scope of using these insects in war is another possible outcome of human intervention. Conventionally, this is called entomological warfare and comes under the current understanding of biological warfare.
• With gene manipulation now possible, the scope of using insects as tools of warfare to spread disease, rather than treat it, has now returned.
• The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) bans the use of biological weapons by prohibiting the use or trade of listed toxins and spread through listed vectors. 
• The broad spectrum of toxins listed under the BWC also extends to insects that may be used to spread disease; so the ban is extended to insects’ intentional and trackable impact. 
• However, due to the possible nature of such weapons, the effect can be misdiagnosed as a naturally occurring outbreak that still needs to be considered and governed.

Dual-use dilemma:

• Despite the success rate of genetically engineered insects in economic pursuits and medicine, the use of genetically engineered organisms is still controversial. 
• While these advantages allow for great hope in using biotechnology, the same adds to the dual-use dilemma of any innovation and has its disadvantages.
• These disadvantages include ecological impact through horizontal transfer or an unexpected impact on other species as a negative externality. 
• This transfer may create an unintentional ecological impact that can mutate in diverse ways, depending on the organism it has transferred to.

Conclusion:

• The reassessment of how genetically altered organisms are regulated, based on the latest science, will play an essential role in the possibility of the future release of CRISPR-edited insects into the environment.