Approximately six hundred participants from over seventy countries attended the "First Global Conference on GMO Analysis". Held at Villa Erba in Como, Italy from 24 through 27 June 2008, the conference was organised by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Growing global deployment of GM crops in agricultural production and trade has led to increasing complexity.  Within this context, this conference addressed the science and technology that underpins GMO control and analysis. The gathering provided a stage for experts to share knowledge and to participate in the promotion of international scientific dialogue.  Drawn from diverse yet interdependent areas, conference topics included sampling for GMO analysis, analytical tools, consistency of tests results, result interpretation and harmonisation of test standards.

Co-Extra interviewed Dr. Marina Miraglia of the Italian Institute for Health. Dr. Miraglia directs a group that studies GMOs and mycotoxins and acts as a liaison for EFSA in Italy. Her areas of research include sampling, analysis, traceability, control plans, and exposure assessment for GMOs. She is member of Co-Extra’s work package 4 (Development of Testing and Sampling Approaches), which recently published a report on the need for novel sampling approaches for GMO in the supply chain*. We asked Dr. Miraglia about challenges associated with sampling for GMO testing.

Co-Extra spoke with Klaus Mittendorf from Eppendorf Array Technologies about the new DualChip GMO.