EPA committee split on RMPC-2 testing

Noteworthy

WASHINGTON - An EPA advisory committee has concluded that nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium meliloti (RMPC-2) probably poses little risk to animals or the environment, but failed to reach consensus on whether additional field testing is necessary for the seed product, which the agency expects will be the first genetically engineered live microorganism to be commercialized under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The engineered microbe contains antibiotic resistance genes for streptomycin and spectinomycin as markers, as well as an increased number of gene sequences for nitrogen fixation to enhance it nitrogen fixation capability...