As the main impetus for regulating microorganisms is to reach an acceptable level of safety with respect to human health and environment, the main aim of the book is instead to critically examine the safety principles that have governed the development of regulations in representative countries, and to what extent these correctly mirror actual hazards and risks. After an introductory chapter by the editors, the book starts with chapters treating regulatory systems for typical application areas in representative jurisdictions. These are followed by others discussing various approaches for assessing the safety of microbes and their utilization, as well as new methodologies to determine pathogenicity, virulence and toxicity. Special chapters examine how international initiatives and agreements as well as public 'risk perception' can influence the implementation of microbial solutions to environmental or agricultural problems.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Microbes and the law : safety assessment and regulation of beneficial microorganisms / Ingvar Sundh, Andrea Wilcks, and Mark S. Goettel -- Safety and regulation of microorganisms added to the food and feed chains, including probiotics : introduction and overview / Stephen Wessels -- Microbes for human and animal consumption / Atte von Wright -- Antibiotic resistance in relation to starter cultures and probiotics / Andrea Wilcks and Angela H.A.M. van Hoek -- Biopreservation of food and feed by postharvest biocontrol with microorganisms / Michael Wisniewski and Samir Droby -- Safety and regulation of microbal pest control agents and microbial plant growth promoters-introduction and overview / Rüdiger Hauschild -- Microbial control of invertebrate pests / Stefan T. Jaronski -- Microbial control of plant diseases / Claude Alabouvette, Ulf Heilig, and Christelle Cordier -- Safety and regulation of microbial control of weeds / Harry C. Evans and Marion K. Seier -- Plant growth promotion with microorganisms / John G. Howieson and Sharon L. Fox -- Regulation of microorganisms used for bioremediation, biorefinery and other bioindustrial applications in the USA and Canada / Jim Louter, John J. Sedivy, and Mark Segal -- Determining the safety of microorganisms-introduction and overview / Hans E.N. Bergmans -- Virulence genes in risk assessment of beneficial microorganisms: what do genome sequences tell us? / Trudy M. Wassenaar and Thomas Alter -- Occupational safety of microbial agents / Anne Mette Madsen and Kira Tendal -- Model systems for testing microbial pathogenicity, virulence and toxicity-introduction and overview / Andrea Wilcks, Mark S. Goettel,and Ingvar Sundh -- Nematode and insect models to assay microbial infectivity, virulence, and cytotoxicity / C. Leopold Kurz and François Leulier -- Assessing potential cytotoxicity of biocontrol microorganisms using invertebrate assays / Claudio Altomare, Barbara Pernfuss, and Hermann Strasser -- Assessing genotoxic effects of microbial products / Milton A. Typas and Vassili N. Kouvelis -- Assessing the sensitization and irritation properties of microorganisms / Gregorio Loprieno -- International conventions and agreements-consequences for international trade and utilization of biological matter including microorganisms / Carl-Gustaf Thornström -- OECD guidelines and harmonization for microbial control agents / Jeroen Meeussen -- Understanding public risk perception for the use of beneficial microorganisms / Keith D. Warner.

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Also available in print format.

Title from PDF title page (viewed August 2, 2013).