There are numerous challenges in realizing the potential of biofuels that many policy makers have envisioned. The technical challenges in making the production of biofuels economical and on a scale to replace a significant fraction of transportation fuel have been well described, along with the potential environmental concerns. The use of biotechnology can potentially address many of these technical challenges and environmental concerns, but brings significant regulatory hurdles that have not been discussed extensively in the scientific community. This review will give an overview of the approaches being developed to produce transgenic biofuel feedstocks, particularly cellulosic ethanol, and the regulatory process in the United States that oversees the development and commercialization of new transgenic plants. We hope to illustrate that the level of regulation for transgenic organisms is not proportional to their potential risk to human health or the environment, and that revisions to the regulatory system in the U.S. currently under consideration are necessary to streamline the process.

中文翻译：

---

用于生物燃料生产的转基因作物：监管观点。

许多政策制定者曾设想，在实现生物燃料的潜力方面面临许多挑战。人们已经很好地描述了使生物燃料的生产变得经济并且大规模替代大量运输燃料的技术挑战以及潜在的环境问题。生物技术的使用可能潜在地解决许多这些技术挑战和环境问题，但带来了重要的监管障碍，科学界尚未对此进行广泛讨论。这篇综述将概述正在开发的生产转基因生物燃料原料（尤其是纤维素乙醇）的方法，以及在美国监管新转基因植物的开发和商业化的监管过程。