GMOs in the bio-industry - Biosafety and regulations

Biotechnologies are used in a wide variety of fields, including medicine, agri-food, cosmetics, chemistry and the environment [1]. For many years, manufacturers have been carrying out research to improve the micro-organisms they use, either to optimize their performance, or to improve the quality of the molecules of interest produced (elimination of impurities, for example), or to manufacture innovative products. The advent of genetic engineering more than 25 years ago brought new resources to this field. However, the construction, handling and transportation of these new genetically modified micro-organisms can present a danger to workers, the general public and the environment. This is why, for safety reasons, legislation on these technologies has been introduced in industrialized countries.