BIOTECHNOLOGY APPROACHES FOR ANIMAL AND CROP IMPROVEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISMS

The overall goal of the 2025 Society for In Vitro Biology Meeting is to bring attendees from academia, industry, and government together to foster communication and research, to advance the science of biotechnology as applied to both plants and animals and to promote interactions with and education of governmental regulators and the general public. The outcome of the conference is the dissemination of science-based information on the use of genetic engineering and gene editing in plants and animals and any associated risks. More specifically, the current conference grant seeks to provide attendees of the 2025 Society for In Vitro Biology Meeting with the most current advances in the development of novel plant and animal transformation approaches, transformation processes optimization, and innovations in gene editing tools development and delivery improvement for enhanced genome modification as well as associated potential risks, regulation, and mitigation. The discussion of these important topics will help facilitate productive and safe development of genetically engineered, and genome-edited crops, woody and ornamentals, and animals, producing healthy and environmentally friendly transgenic products for enhanced agriculture production. The specific objectives for this grant are to present and discuss 1) innovative approaches for plant and animal transformation and transformation processes optimization, 2) plant and animal genome engineering including model, non-model and polyploid species, and 3) assessment and mitigation of environmental and human health risks associated with various genetic engineering technologies, especially gene editing, and future regulatory pathways. Furthermore, we plan to enhance outreach to support minority and underserved students and scientists by offering reduced cost registration and virtual opportunities to access the content.