NIST Seeks Comments on Genome Editing Terms

The NIST Genome Editing Consortium seeks feedback on terms and definitions specific to genome editing. The purpose of this project is to encourage the use of a unified standard set of terms and definitions that serve the needs of and act as a reference for the genome editing community. We welcome comments on the terms and definitions in version 1 of the NIST Genome Editing Consortium Lexicon. 

NIST, the nation's reference lab for biological measurements, launched the Genome Editing Consortium in June 2018 to develop measurements and standards to increase confidence in the use of these techniques for health care, agriculture, chemical production, and other fields of national importance. The consortium has convened two workshops, in April 2018 and in May 2019, to discuss challenges and potential solutions. Workshop participants called for a lexicon in April 2018, noting that this relatively new field could not progress until researchers and practitioners had confidence that they were speaking on the same terms.

The NIST Genome Editing Consortium, which works with the community in a pre-competitive arena to develop the measurement tools that will advance the whole field, is helping to mature genome editing technology into a reliable resource for biomanufacturing and making other commercial products.  The consortium is still open to new members. No proprietary information will be shared as part of the consortium.