GM microbes (GMMs)

Genetically engineered or genetically modified (GM) microbes or micro-organisms (GMMs), including viruses, are being proposed for release as “biopesticides”, for example and there is research aimed at manipulating entire microbial communities. The development and release of GMMs poses serious ecological and health risks.

Micro-organisms/microbes include bacteria, viruses, and other microscopic organisms such as yeasts, molds, and phytoplankton. Most microbes have yet to be discovered. For example, 42% of bacteria have likely never been detected. Microbes are responsible for key ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil structure, plant growth, and pathogen control.
Soil microbes recycle nutrients, build soil structure, support plant growth and suppress plant disease.
A microbiome is a community of micro-organisms living in a particular environment. Humans have a microbiome in their gut and there are microbiomes on human skin, in the lungs, throat, nose and mouth, and in human reproductive organs. Microbiome research is new but developing rapidly.

Risks

Many microorganisms can exchange genetic material across species boundaries to unrelated neighbours, called horizontal gene transfer.
The spread of microorganisms cannot be controlled once they have been released into the environment. Microbes reproduce quickly and travel by air, water, insects, birds and other animals, and on fungi and other bacteria.
Detecting and monitoring GMMs is severely limited. Current methods cannot show where a modification has ended up or whether a modified gene remains in the target organisms or has moved into non-target organisms. Sequencing destroys the sample being studied (see Dr. Stephanie Jurburg). This means that real-time ecological interactions (e.g., predation, competition) cannot be observed.
The main target environment for the release of GMMs is soil which is the most diverse and least monitorable microbial habitat on Earth.

For background see the letter Ecologist’s view on COM (2025) 1031 – environmental release of genetically modified microorganisms (GMM)s.

Updates

September 2026: The European Commission is proposing to allow fast track approvals for certain genetically engineered microbes. It includes lower standards for risk assessment and monitoring, market authorizations without time limitations and releases without detection methods and monitoring. The proposals will be debated by a joint committee of the European Parliament (Health and Environment) in November. Click here for more information.

Products

BiomElix One is a feed additive made of live, genetically engineered bacteria, fed to chickens (approved only in Brazil) to reduce Salmonella contamination. It works by transferring engineered DNA to bacteria in the chicken gut. Each transfer creates a new, living genetically modified organism that could potentially remain in chicken meat for sale. Click here to read the briefing from Save Our Seeds, Germany.

Lumina is a genetically modified mouth bacterium designed to spread and permanently colonize the human mouth is already being sold in the US and Honduras. BCS3-L1 is a genetically modified strain of a bacterium called Streptococcus mutans, developed as a one-time treatment to permanently prevent tooth decay. The strain was engineered to incorporate a gene from another bacterial species, enabling it to produce ethanol instead of the lactic acid which is the primary acid responsible for cavity formation. BCS3-L1 was also isolated to be a ‘super-competitor’ with the capacity to outcompete other bacteria in the oral microbiome. Click here to read the briefing from Save Our Seeds, Germany.

Regulation

In Canada:

Health Canada is responsible for regulating microbes as foods and for food processing under the Food and Drugs Act.
Use in livestock feed is the responsibility of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada.
Microbes affected by and used as pesticides are regulated federally under the Pest Control Products Act with numerous related programming for biocontrol agents carried out by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada and the Pest Management Centre of Agriculture and Agr-Food Canada.
The manufacture and import of living pathogenic or toxic micro-organisms is regulated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms).