Island Conservation’s GBIRd Program Manager, Royden Saah, joined a panel discussion to research, conservation, biosafety, and ethics related to gene drive.

In April, the 15th Symposium of the International Society for Biosafety Research was held in Tarragona, Spain. A panel discussion organized by the Gene Drive Network aimed to facilitate the discussion of biosafety and ethics in gene drive research for conservation.

The panel featured Island Conservation’s GBIRd program manager, Royden Saah, along with three other experts in ethics, policy, and biotechnology. Leading experts discussed responsible research and the regulatory challenges related to gene drive and its use for human health and conservation.

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Island Conservation’s Royden Saah and leading experts in the fields of gene drive, biosafety, and ethics discuss gene drive for conservation public health.

The Symposium comes only a few months after the UN decided not to place a moratorium on gene drive research and instead found that careful, ethical research shows promising signs for people and the environment. It is vital that researchers and experts in the field of gene drives and research ethics continue to discuss the potential for these new tools in order to find innovative approaches to conservation and public health.

Featured photo: Red-footed Booby on Lehua Island. Credit: Island Conservation