<p><strong>Martijn Schaap</strong> is a Professor at Freie Universitaet Berlin on Air Quality and Principal Scientist at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). <strong>TNO</strong> is an independent research organisation that aims to create innovations while collaborating closely with governments, universities and the private sector.</p>
<p>Since Martijn is an expert on reactive nitrogen emissions and deposition we could learn more about the situation in the Netherlands, what are the <strong> main sources of ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions </strong>. Since he is a researcher at TNO which is a Dutch organisation, we learned <strong>how the Dutch government approaches the problem</strong>. He also gave his opinion on ideas that could help solve the problem, these are also discussed in the alternative approaches part.
<p>Since Martijn is an expert on reactive nitrogen emissions and deposition we could <strong>learn more about the situation in the Netherlands,</strong> what are the <strong> main sources of ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions </strong>. Since he is a researcher at TNO which is a Dutch organisation, we learned <strong>how the Dutch government approaches the problem</strong>. He also gave his opinion on ideas that could help solve the problem, these are also discussed in the <strong>Alternative Approaches</strong> section.
<p>We wanted to implement the notion of <strong>responsible innovation </strong> during our project. That is why we contacted dr. Zoë Robaey who is currently an Assistant Professor in Ethics of Technology at the Philosophy Group of Wageningen University. Her work investigates moral responsibility under conditions of uncertainty in the field of biotechnology in agriculture.
<p>We wanted to implement the notion of <strong>responsible innovation </strong> during our project. That is why we contacted <strong>dr. Zoë Robaey</strong> who is currently an Assistant Professor in Ethics of Technology at the Philosophy Group of Wageningen University. Her work investigates moral responsibility under conditions of uncertainty in the field of biotechnology in agriculture.
</p>
<p>We learned that <strong>it is not enough to have a potentially revolutionary idea that we think could do good</strong>. It is a fundamental part of being responsible that we think of <strong> how our idea or product will be used in society, who will own it, what exact problems our innovation will solve and what consequences can be anticipated to different choices </strong>. We developed our idea and thought of its application with this mindset all along.</p>
<p>As a result of our discussion, we came up with different types of <strong>responsible ownership models</strong> that could be applied to our project and what benefits each could have. Also, we thought more about our <strong>final product</strong>, do we want to create GM seeds in the end with specific crops, or just have a ‘nitrogen-fixing traits’ that could be used as a technology by others. You can see more on the ownership page and Entrepreneurship page about how we imagine our final idea.</p>
<p>As a result of our discussion, we came up with different types of <strong>responsible ownership models</strong> that could be applied to our project and what benefits each could have. Also, we thought more about our <strong>final product</strong>, do we want to create GM seeds in the end with specific crops, or just have a <strong>‘nitrogen-fixing traits’</strong> that could be used as a technology by others. You can see more on the <strong>Ownership</strong> page and <strong>Entrepreneurship</strong> page about how we imagine our final idea.</p>
<divclass="h3">National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)</div>
<p>During our interview with the RIVM GMO office, we learned about environmental risk assessment and what are the steps for commercializing a GM crop in the EU and the Netherlands. Our main question was <strong> what the relevant aspects in the assessment of field trials are and how we can mitigate potential risks connected to our GM plant</strong>. We learned that risks and containment measures depend on the characteristics of the GMO and the environment it is grown in and are therefore case specific. So, choosing a plant is essential for specific details. A bioinformatics blasting module was discussed to assess safety better.
<p>During our interview with the <strong>RIVM GMO office</strong>, we learned about <strong>environmental risk assessment</strong> and what are the steps for commercializing a GM crop in the EU and the Netherlands. Our main question was <strong> what the relevant aspects in the assessment of field trials are and how we can mitigate potential risks connected to our GM plant</strong>. We learned that risks and containment measures depend on the characteristics of the GMO and the environment it is grown in and are therefore <strong>case specific.</strong> So, choosing a plant is essential for specific details. A <strong>bioinformatics</strong> blasting module was discussed to assess safety better.
<p>We followed up our RIVM discussion about environmental safety by reaching out to Max van Hooren to get more specific information on safety related to our design. He is a member of the scientific secretariat of The Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM). COGEM is an advisory board that provides advice on work involving genetically modified organisms. </p>
<p>We followed up our RIVM discussion about environmental safety by reaching out to <strong>Max van Hooren</strong> to get more specific information on safety related to our design. He is a member of the scientific secretariat of <strong>The Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM).</strong> COGEM is an advisory board that provides advice on work involving genetically modified organisms. </p>
<p>We discussed the <strong> environmental safety aspects</strong> in more detail such as competitive advantage and genes spreading via seeds. Also, another important question was, <strong>what design would be best</strong>; to genetically engineer the host or not or the question of not making the organelle viable on its own.</p>
<p>Amrit Nanda is the Executive Manager of Plants for the Future ETP which is a Non-profit membership-based organization bringing together academia, industry and farming communities to promote the flow of innovation to market in the plant sector. She helped us learn more about <strong>GMO legislation</strong> in Europe and what possible changes could be proposed to promote the implementation of synthetic biology ideas like ours. We also talked about how important <strong>science communication</strong> is for the acceptance of GMOs in the public.</p>
<p><strong>Amrit Nanda</strong> is the <strong>Executive Manager</strong> of <strong>Plants for the Future ETP</strong> which is a Non-profit membership-based organization bringing together academia, industry and farming communities to promote the flow of innovation to market in the plant sector. She helped us learn more about <strong>GMO legislation</strong> in Europe and what possible changes could be proposed to promote the implementation of synthetic biology ideas like ours. We also talked about how important <strong>science communication</strong> is for the acceptance of GMOs in the public.</p>
<p>This helped us improve how we present our project to the public during different public activities. We talked about the difference in GMO legislation approach between Europe and other countries. Resulting, we discuss a potential approach how in Europe the application of GM crops could be looked at. </p>
