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DAY ONE
13th October
Livestream

(Click day for livestream)

DAY TWO
14th October
Livestream

Symposium Program

The symposium will be delivered across two six-hour virtual sessions to support participation from different regions. Presentations will be pre-recorded and followed by live panel discussions and audience Q&A.

Day 1 — Europe & Asia-Pacific

Tuesday 13 October 2026

14:00–20:00 AEDT
03:00–09:00 UTC
23:00, 12 October – 05:00, 13 October EDT (USA)
14:00

14:15
Welcome

Welcome and symposium aims

Introduction to the symposium, the OECD Co-operative Research Programme and the importance of international cooperation in RNAi-based pesticide regulation.

Speakers
Professor Neena Mitter Charles Sturt University
Mr Ben van Delden Delco Agrifood Pty Ltd
Dr Michael Rothrock OECD
14:15

16:15
Session 1

The state of the art in RNAi-based pesticides — Part 1

An examination of scientific progress since the 2019 OECD conference, including dsRNA design, target efficacy, biosafety, risk assessment and emerging approaches to pest management.

Speakers
Professor Kristof De Schutter Ghent University, Belgium
Professor Guy Smagghe Ghent University, Belgium
Dr Kumaran Nagalingam CSIRO, Australia
Professor Umut Toprak Ankara University, Türkiye
Mr Stephen Fletcher Charles Sturt University, Australia
Professor Phil Lester Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
16:15

16:45
Live Panel

Live panel discussion and audience Q&A

Session 1 speakers will respond to audience questions and discuss opportunities and challenges arising from recent scientific advances.

16:45

17:15
Break

Break

17:15

19:15
Session 2

Safety, regulation and social context

Exploring scientific, regulatory, policy and social considerations affecting RNAi-based pesticides, including safety assessment, off-target analysis, regulatory pathways, governance and public acceptance.

Speakers
Dr Jörg Romeis Agroscope, Switzerland
Professor Peta Ashworth Curtin University, Australia
Associate Professor Pedro Fidelman The University of Queensland, Australia
Dr Sarah Agapito Rio Institute, France
Dr Venkatesan Thiruvengadam Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India
Emi Schutz Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), Australia
19:15

19:45
Live Panel

Live panel discussion and audience Q&A

Session speakers will discuss approaches to effective, evidence-based and internationally aligned regulation.

19:45

20:00
Conclusion

Day 1 conclusion

Day 2

Wednesday 14 October 2026

06:00–12:00 AEDT
19:00, 13 October – 01:00, 14 October UTC
15:00–21:00, 13 October EDT (USA)
06:00

06:15
Welcome

Welcome and recap of Day 1

A summary of the major themes and discussions from the first day of the symposium.

Speakers
Professor Neena Mitter Charles Sturt University
Mr Ben van Delden Delco Agrifood Pty Ltd
Dr Michael Rothrock OECD
06:15

08:15
Session 3

The state of the art in RNAi-based pesticides — Part 2

Continuing the examination of scientific progress since 2019, with a focus on RNA transport and uptake, formulation, delivery, crop-protection applications and optimisation of RNAi performance.

Speakers
Professor Hailing Jin University of California, Riverside, USA
Professor Mark Belmonte University of Manitoba, Canada
Professor Neena Mitter Charles Sturt University, Australia
Dr Dolores Fernández-Ortuño University of Málaga, Spain
Professor Aline Koch University of Regensburg, Germany
Dr Emma De Neef GreenLight Biosciences, USA
08:15

08:45
Live Panel

Live panel discussion and audience Q&A

Session speakers will answer questions and discuss translating RNA biology into practical crop-protection technologies.

08:45

10:45
Session 4

Industry perspectives and commercialisation

Industry and regulatory experts discuss the pathway from scientific discovery to commercial application, including dsRNA manufacturing, product development, regulation and the challenges involved in bringing RNAi-based products to market.

Speakers
Dr Minlee Kim Genolution Inc., South Korea
Dr Jyoti Taneja Varada Agriculture, USA
Dr Jiarui Li Innatrix, USA
Ms Juliana Pelegrino GreenLight Biosciences, Brazil
Dr John Husnik Renaissance Bioscience Corporation, Canada
Additional regulatory speaker To be confirmed
10:45

11:15
Live Panel

Live panel discussion and audience Q&A

Discussion covering commercial readiness, manufacturing, investment, regulation and the future market for RNAi-based pesticides.

11:15

11:45
Closing

Closing remarks and symposium conclusion

Reflections on the major themes, emerging areas of consensus and priorities for future international collaboration.

11:45

12:00
Program

Program buffer and close

Timing retained within the advertised six-hour session.

Program and speakers are subject to change.
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