Transgenic proteins in agricultural biotechnology: The toxicology forum 40th annual summer meeting

During the 40th Annual Meeting of The Toxicology Forum, the current and potential future science, regulations, and politics of agricultural biotechnology were presented and discussed. The range of current commercial crops and commercial crop traits related to transgenic proteins were reviewed and example crop traits discussed, including insecticidal resistance conferred by Bt proteins and the development of nutritionally enhanced food such as Golden Rice. The existing regulatory framework in the USA, with an emphasis on US FDA's role in evaluating the safety of genetically engineered crops under the regulatory umbrella of the FD&C Act was reviewed. Consideration was given to the polarized politics surrounding agricultural biotechnology, the rise of open access journals, and the influence of the internet and social media in shaping public opinion. Numerous questions related to misconceptions regarding current products and regulations were discussed, highlighting the need for more scientists to take an active role in public discourse to facilitate public acceptance and adoption of new technologies and to enable science-based regulations.