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Full-Text Articles in Law

The Code Of Life And Death, Braden R. Leach Sep 2023

The Code Of Life And Death, Braden R. Leach

Notre Dame Journal on Emerging Technologies

Biotechnology is advancing at an astonishing clip, but our safeguards are decades behind. Given new technologies and economies of scale, it is possible for nefarious actors to assemble deadly viruses from scratch using synthetic DNA ordered off the internet. The Select Agents statute helps to prevent malicious actors from acquiring dangerous pathogens, but the Department of Health and Human Services has interpreted it to not cover synthetic DNA. Recognizing the gap, HHS issued guidance recommending that gene synthesis companies verify their customers to ensure their legitimacy and screen genetic sequences for matches to pathogen sequences. Unsurprisingly, voluntary guidance has not …


Caveat Venditor: Products Liability And Genetically Modified Foods, Kristopher A. Isham Jan 2023

Caveat Venditor: Products Liability And Genetically Modified Foods, Kristopher A. Isham

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become a lightning rod for conflict between farmers, corporations, shareholders, government agencies, and other concerned groups. Supporters tout GMOs as a solution to the problems of diminishing returns from traditional crop plants and the rising demand for greater quantities of food. Opponents critcize GMOs for potential toxic and allergic reactions in humans, loss of biodiversity, and pesticide and antibiotic resistance in other plants and insects. As the understanding of potential applications of biotechnology broadens, the risks and benefits of such products are being scrutinized more closely.