Agricultural biotechnology takes many forms and applications, with the number and diversity of products ever increasing. With this rapid development, regulatory authorities have sought to keep pace through regulatory adjustments and advances to ensure the safe and beneficial use of this critical technology. The regulatory systems for the U.S. and Canada are not static and must evolve in order to maintain relevance, efficiency and applicability to the challenges encountered. The diverse authors, drawn from the biotechnology industry, academia, government research and regulatory agencies, offer their perspectives of the historical and current system and suggest where it can be improved in the future. Based upon vast experience interacting with the regulatory system, the editors and authors offer demystifying views of the US and Canadian regulatory structures and how they came to be. We know of no other effort to present the biotechnology regulatory systems of the US and Canada in an open forum which will benefit those in the regulated community as well as those charged with oversight of the products of biotechnology, and ultimately the consumer!

DNA, once the exclusive domain of scientists in research labs, is now the darling of popular and social media. With personal genetic testing kits in homes and GMO foods in stores, DNA is an increasingly familiar term. Unfortunately, what people know, or think they know, about DNA and genetics is often confused or incorrect. Contrary to popular belief, for instance, genes don't "skip a generation" and, no, human DNA is not "different" from DNA of other species. With popular misconceptions proliferating in the news and on the internet, how can anyone sort fact from fiction? DNA Demystified satisfies the public appetite for and curiosity about DNA and genetics. Alan McHughen, an accomplished academic and public science advocate, brings the reader up-to-speed on what we know, what we don't, and where genetic technologies are taking us. The book begins with the basic groundwork and a brief history of DNA and genetics. Chapters then cover newsworthy topics, including DNA fingerprinting, using DNA in forensic analyses, and identifying cold-case criminals. For readers intrigued by the proliferation of at-home DNA tests, the text includes fascinating explorations of genetic genealogy and family tree construction-crucial for people seeking their biological ancestry. Other chapters describe genetic engineering in medicine and pharmaceuticals, and the use of those same technologies in creating the far more controversial GMOs in food and agriculture. Throughout, the book raises provocative ethical and privacy issues arising from DNA and genetic technologies. With the author's comprehensive expertise, DNA Demystified offers an informal yet authoritative guide to the genetic marvel of DNA.

Agricultural biotechnology takes many forms and applications, with the number and diversity of products ever increasing. With this rapid development, regulatory authorities have sought to keep pace through regulatory adjustments and advances to ensure the safe and beneficial use of this critical technology. The regulatory systems for the U.S. and Canada are not static and must evolve in order to maintain relevance, efficiency and applicability to the challenges encountered. The diverse authors, drawn from the biotechnology industry, academia, government research and regulatory agencies, offer their perspectives of the historical and current system and suggest where it can be improved in the future. Based upon vast experience interacting with the regulatory system, the editors and authors offer demystifying views of the US and Canadian regulatory structures and how they came to be. We know of no other effort to present the biotechnology regulatory systems of the US and Canada in an open forum which will benefit those in the regulated community as well as those charged with oversight of the products of biotechnology, and ultimately the consumer!