Potential Applications of Knowledge System Technology to Biotechnology Safety Assurance

The rapid advance of modern biotechnology from a laboratory science to an emerging industry has been accompanied by considerable debate over appropriate means for regulating biotechnology products. One of the more controversial areas has been the planned introduction of genetically-engineered microorganisms into the environment, for example as an agricultural aid. A central issue in this debate is whether we possess appropriate methods for assessing the hypothetical human or ecological risks associated with such planned releases.