Research and Research Training Portfolio
What is a GMO?
As per the Gene Technology Regulations 2001, a genetically modified organism (GMO) is:
- An organism that has had its genome modified by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, or
- An organism modified by repair of single-strand or double-strand breaks of genomic DNA induced by a site-directed nuclease (SDN), if a nucleic acid template was added to guide homology-directed repair.
The following organisms are not classed as genetically modified organisms:
- A mutant organism in which the mutational event did not involve the introduction of any foreign nucleic acid (that is, non-homologous DNA, usually from another species)
- A whole animal, or a human being, modified by the introduction of naked recombinant nucleic acid (such as a DNA vaccine) into its somatic cells, if the introduced nucleic acid is incapable of giving rise to infectious agents.
- Naked plasmid DNA that is incapable of giving rise to infectious agents when introduced into a host cell.
- An organism modified by repair of single strand or double strand breaks of genomic DNA induced by a site directed nuclease, if a nucleic acid template was not added to guide homology directed repair.
- Not in use
- An organism that results from an exchange of DNA if:
- the donor species is also the host species; and
- the vector DNA does not contain any heterologous DNA.
- An organism that results from an exchange of DNA between the donor species and the host species if:
- such exchange can occur by naturally occurring processes; and
- the donor species and the host species are micro organisms that:
- satisfy the criteria in AS/NZS 2243.3:2010 for classification as Risk Group 1; and
- are known to exchange nucleic acid by a natural physiological process; and
- the vector used in the exchange does not contain heterologous DNA from any organism other than an organism that is involved in the exchange.
- An organism that is descended from a genetically modified organism (the initial organism), if none of the traits it has inherited from the initial organism are traits that occurred in the initial organism because of gene technology.
- An organism that has inherited particular traits from an organism (the initial organism), being traits that occurred in the initial organism because of gene technology, if:
- the initial organism was not a genetically modified organism (because of the application of regulation 5); or
- all such inherited traits are traits that occurred in the initial organism as a result of a modification described in an item in this Schedule.
- An organism that was modified by gene technology but in which the modification, and any traits that occurred because of gene technology, are no longer present.
- Agrobacterium radiobacter strain K1026.
- Pasteurella multocida strain PMP1.