Abstract
Advances in molecular biology have developed a wide variety of techniques which enable the genetic modification (GM) of living organisms. The aim of GM is to introduce a new characteristic to a target organism and the resulting organism is called a genetically modified organism (GMO). An advantage of GM is that it enables us to produce desirable organisms much faster than conventional breeding. However, many people refuse GMOs for fear of them probably because people do not know about GMOs precisely. In this session, we will discuss the following questions and try to find a clue to answer them: (1) What are GMOs? (2) What are differences between GM and conventional breeding? (3) What is the benefit of GMOs? (4) What are authorities responsible for the regulation of GM? (5) What are the potential risks of GMOs? (6) Is GM more dangerous than conventional breeding?
