Communicating the science of GMOs and Emerging Biotechnology Tools: CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
From November 2, 2025, the African Genetic Biocontrol Consortium in partnership with the Gene Convene initiative, will host a session at the International Society for Biosafety Research (ISBR) symposium in Ghent, Belgium.
The session will be led under the banner of the Scicom Forum, which was formed to advance communicating genetic biocontrol and biotechnology. The forum brings together journalists, scientists, researchers and science communicators.
The topic of the workshop will cover communicating the science of Genetically Modified organisms (GMO) and emerging biotechnology tools. The session will convene scientists, researchers, developers and science journalists to review experiences, explore barriers in science communication and share skills to overcome them.
The session format will include presentation of case studies for communication about GMOs in Africa- describing the new technology, as well as communication related to regulatory decision making of GMOs.
The forum will reinforce how best scientists and journalists can work together.
The theme of the 17th ISBR Symposium is “Cultivating Bio-Innovation for a Sustainable Future”
The sessions at the symposium are aimed at aim at creating awareness and advancing public understanding and support for bio- innovation, advancing community engagement in gene drive research.
The ISBR aims to promote scientifically sound research that supports biosafety assessment by improving communication among scientists who study plants, animals and microbes using modern biotechnology.
Scicom Forum was launched in 2023, as a response to the GMO 101 course for journalists and science communicators. During the course, both journalists and scientists expressed commitment to work towards continuous engagement, partnership and common approaches that provide better understanding on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), their regulation and on emerging biotechnologies which include gene drives for vector control, editing and synthetic biology techniques.
Dr. Willy Tonui, founder of the African Genetic Biocontrol Consortium, gives opening remarks at the launch of the GMO 101 Course (2023)
One of key roles of Scicom is to help journalists, science communicators as well as scientists, researchers and developers to overcome some of the challenges they face when communicating, interpreting and breaking the silence to make it consumable to the public. Scicom also endeavors to ensure that GMO research is better understood by journalists, so that they can report accurately and in the right context.
Below Participants in the GMO 101 course pose for a group picture (2023)
Below: The GMO 101 Course was attended by both journalists and scientists. Scicom endeavors to ensure that GMO research is better understood by journalists, so that they can report accurately and in the right context.
Below: Dr. Damaris Matoke from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) makes a presentation during the GMO 101 Course (2023)
