The Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992

Artificial techniques of genetic modification

3.  The following techniques are prescribed as artificial techniques for the purposes of section 106(4) of the Act:

(a) the insertion by any method into a virus, bacterial plasmid or other vector system of a nucleic acid molecule, which has been produced by any method outside that virus, bacterial plasmid or other vector system, so as to produce a new combination of genetic material which is capable of being inserted into an organism in which that combination does not occur naturally and within which it will be heritable genetic material;

(b) the insertion into an organism, by micro-injection, macro-injection, micro-encapsulation or other direct means, of heritable genetic material prepared outside that organism;

(c) the fusion (including protoplast fusion) or hybridisation, by any method that does not occur naturally, of two or more cells to form cells which have new combinations of heritable genetic material and which (if derived solely from plant cells) cannot be produced by traditional breeding methods;

(d) where they involve the use of recombinant DNA molecules—

(i) in vitro fertilisation,

(ii) conjugation, transduction, transformation or any other natural process,

(iii) polyploidy induction.