Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of DNA or other nucleic-acid molecules in order to modify an organism or population of organisms. The term initially meant any of a wide range of techniques for modifying or manipulating organisms through heredity and reproduction. Now the term denotes the narrower field of recombinant-DNA technology, or gene cloning, in which DNA molecules from two or more sources are combined, either within cells or in test tubes, and then inserted into host organisms in which they are able to reproduce. This technique is used to produce new genetic combinations that are of value to science, medicine, agriculture, or industry. Through recombinant-DNA techniques, bacteria have been created that are capable of synthesizing human insulin, human interferon, human growth hormone, a hepatitis-B vaccine, and other medically useful substances. Recombinant-DNA techniques, combined with the development of a technique for producing antibodies in great quantity, have made an impact on medical diagnosis and cancer research. Plants have been genetically adjusted to perform nitrogen fixation and to produce their own pesticides. Bacteria capable of biodegrading oil have been produced for use in oil-spill cleanups. Genetic engineering also introduces the fear of adverse genetic manipulations and their consequences (e.g., antibiotic-resistant bacteria or new strains of disease). See also biotechnology, molecular biology.

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Genetic engineering - Definition and More from the Free ...

A crop being grown as part of a GM potato study in Ireland. Photographer: Dara Mac Dnaill/The Irish Times Photographer: Dara Mac Donaill / THE IRISH TIMES

Genetic engineering or modification (GE or GM) allows us, in principle, to purify any gene and place it in the chromosome of any organism, and thus programme that organism to make a product encoded by the gene. It is 40 years since the first GM organism (GMO) was made, 31 since the first major GM pharmaceutical (human insulin) was marketed, 30 since the first GM plant was made and 17 since the first commercial GM crops were released. In the last 40 years GM technology has revolutionised fundamental biology, medicine, agriculture and forensic science.

GMOs are used to produce many powerful medicines, including Enbrel, human papillomavirus vaccine and herceptin, most of which are entirely novel. Ten biotech (GM) production plants now account for a high proportion of Irish pharmaceutical production.

GM has had an equivalent effect on agriculture outside Europe. Today GM crops are sown on more than 170 million hectares, half in developing countries; they account for 80 per cent of soy and 35 per cent of corn planted. More than 90 per cent of Indian cotton was GM in 2012. New varieties of GM crop are being developed that are pest- and disease-resistant, drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant; others assimilate fertilisers more efficiently; and others are herbicide-tolerant, facilitating no-till farming.

Golden riceOne remarkable project, golden rice, illustrates the power of GM. Rice does not contain enough carotene, from which we make vitamin A. In places where people depend on rice, vitamin A deficiency each year causes 670,000 children to die and 350,000 to go blind. Drs Potrykus and Beyer invented a GM rice that makes more carotene and arranged for the rights to go to the not-for-profit project.

Dozens of authoritative reports have shown that GM is safe and valuable. In 2005 the World Health Organisation concluded: GMOs offer potential of increased agricultural productivity, improved nutritional values that can contribute directly to enhancing human health and development.

There is one exception to the general acceptance of GM Europe. The EU has adopted a highly politicised regulatory system that has made it almost impossible to grow GM crops in Europe. One GM corn is grown widely in Spain. Europe (reluctantly) imports GM food and animal feed, we use GM enzymes in food and drink production but our farmers are not allowed to grow GM crops. While US farmers have benefited by $78 billion (1996-2010), European farmers and consumers have been denied the use of this innovative science for nearly 20 years.

The original reason for opposing GM crops was a concern that they were, or might be, dangerous, to people or animals or the environment. This concern was not sound in the first place and has been shown to be unjustified. More than a decade of research in the EU, US and elsewhere has shown GM plants to be no more risky than conventional plants.

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Ireland losing out because of irrational hostility to GM

Genetic engineering is a scientific development that involves the artificial manipulation of an organism's genes by using techniques such as molecular cloning and transformation in order to alter their nature and structure. Many of these transformations are achieved by manipulation of an organism's DNA, which effectively is the code inscribed in every cell to determine how it will function.

As with most scientific developments there are a number of arguments both for and against.

There has been a considerable amount of research into the genetic engineering of crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, soybean and rice, with the aim of obtaining new strains that have better nutritional qualities and better yields.

In a world where there is a continual need to produce more food; genetically engineered crops are being developed to grow on land that is currently not suitable for cultivation. By manipulating the genes in crops the aim is to improve their nutritional value, their rate of growth and their flavour.

Seeds can be engineered so that they are resistant to pests and can survive cultivation in relatively harsh climatic conditions. Biotechnology can also be used to slow down the process of food spoilage so that fruit and vegetables can have a longer shelf life.

Although on the face of it genetic engineering might appear to bring a number of very positive benefits, there is by no means a universal approval of this practice.

Greenpeace International is very firm in its opposition, pointing out that there is no adequate scientific understanding of the impact that genetically modified organisms might have on the world's environment and on human health.

Undesirable genetic mutations can lead to allergies in crops and critics believe that while genetic engineering might enhance taste and appearance of foodstuffs, it could also hamper the nutritional value. At the very least, in order to inform consumers, all foodstuffs or products that have been made from genetically modified food should be clearly labelled as such at point of sale.

Whole new substances such as proteins and other food nutrients can be produced as a result of genetic engineering. The genetic modification of foods can be used to increase their medicinal value, thus making available a range of homegrown medical vaccines.

Greenpeace maintains that commercial interests are the prime movers to introduce genetically modified organisms into the food chain and stresses that once these organisms have been released into the environment they cannot be recalled.

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Genetic Engineering | The Earth Times | Encyclopaedia

Learn the Fundamentals of Biotechnology

1. What is biotechnology?

Biotechnology is the application of biological knowledge to obtain new techniques, materials and compounds of pharmaceutical, medical, agrarian, industrial and scientific use, i.e., of practical use.

The pioneer fields of biotechnology were agriculture and the food industry but nowadays many other practical fields use its techniques.

2. What is genetic engineering?

Genetic engineering is the use of genetic knowledge to artificially manipulate genes: It is one of the fields of biotechnology.

3. At the present level of the biotechnology what are the main techniques of genetic engineering?

The main techniques of genetic engineering today are: the recombinant DNA technology (also called genetic engineering itself) in which pieces of genes from an organism are inserted into the genetic material of another organism producing recombinant beings; the nucleus transplantation technology, popularly known as cloning, in which a nucleus of a cell is grafted into a enucleated egg cell of the same species to create a genetic copy of the donor (of the nucleus) individual; the technology of DNA amplification, or PCR (polymerase chain reaction), that allows millions replications of chosen fragments of a DNA molecule.

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Genetic Engineering - Biology Questions and Answers

Genetic Engineering is a very complex field where there is a direct manipulation of an organism's genes. It is also called recombinant DNA technology, which involves creating a DNA by bringing together DNA sequences which otherwise, normally would not be combined. Techniques like transformation and molecular cloning are used in genetic engineering to modify the structure and the characteristics of genes.

Interesting Examples of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering is the technique that gives the power to desirably manipulate the genome of an organism. This ability has been explored and experimented in several organisms, some of which have been commercialized whereas the...

Common Misconceptions in Genetics

In the mid-19th century, Gregor Mendel propagated his theories related to heredity. A lot of progress has been made in the field of genetics since then. However, even today, there exist a lot of misconceptions owing to incorrect...

Benefits of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering process manipulates the DNA sequence to create a new one. The write-up focuses on the various benefits of genetic engineering.

Genetic Engineering in Humans

With the advancements in the field of genetic engineering, science in the future may give us the power to genetically modify and create 'near perfect' life. Read this write-up to know more about genetic engineering in humans.

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering

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Genetic Engineering | Buzzle.com

Are GMOs Safe Medical Course
For Educational Use Only - Fair Use - E.R. physician Dr. Travis Stork explains how GMOs Genetically Modified Organisms amplify crop production and sustainabi...

By: Abiasaph Abiathar

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Are GMOs Safe Medical Course - Video

An American activist opposing genetic engineering has praised Nelson as the first part of New Zealand to declare itself free of genetically modified organisms.

Self-published author and speaker Jeffrey Smith gave a talk at the Free House pub this week emphasising the value in keeping genetically engineered products out of New Zealand. It was one of only two talks he gave nationwide.

"New Zealand is very well-poised to take advantage of the economics of going non-GM."

He said there was a growing sentiment in his homeland that genetically modified products should be avoided. He expected a consumer-driven "tipping point" to occur within the next 18 months, saying this would see products containing GM ingredients becoming a "commercial liability".

"At that point, the clean, green image of New Zealand will translate better into economic premiums."

Mr Smith said there was a particularly receptive market available for meat and dairy products which originated from animals that had not eaten GM feed. New Zealand farmers should phase out the use of GM feed and market their meat and dairy in the US, claiming the GE free products would command a premium.

In New Zealand, processed foods can contain GM ingredients but must be labelled accordingly. No GM crops are grown commercially and no GM fruit, vegetables or meat are sold, but meat and other products from animals that have been fed GM food are not required to be labelled.

Mr Smith claimed GE foods had been found to cause health problems, but said studies into this area had been suppressed.

He was not all praise for New Zealand, criticising the local processes in place for the approval of GE products. He said the process was "nowhere near" rigorous enough and did not protect the public, saying it was widely cited internationally as an example of "how regulations should not be conducted".

Based in Iowa, Mr Smith was hosted in New Zealand by non-profit organisation GE Free New Zealand. President Claire Bleakley said it would be enlightening for a local audience to gain insights on the international experience with genetic modification.

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Activist lauds GE-free city

Genetic engineering (GE) is the modification of an organisms genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. When gene transfer occurs, the resulting organism is called transgenic or a GMO (genetically modified organism).

Genetic engineering is different from traditional cross breeding, where genes can only be exchanged between closely related species. With genetic engineering, genes from completely different species can be inserted into one another. For example, scientists in Taiwan have successfully inserted jellyfish genes into pigs in order to make them glow in the dark.

All life is made up of one or more cells. Each cell contains a nucleus, and inside each nucleus are strings of molecules called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Each strand of DNA is divided into small sections called genes. These genes contain a unique set of instructions that determine how the organism grows, develops, looks, and lives.

During genetic engineering processes, specific genes are removed from one organism and inserted into another plant or animal, thus transferring specific traits.

Nearly 400 million acres of farmland worldwide are now used to grow GE crops such as cotton, corn, soybeans and rice. In the United States, GE soybeans, corn and cotton make up 93%, 88% and 94% of the total acreage of the respective crops. The majority of genetically engineered crops grown today are engineered to be resistant to pesticides and/or herbicides so that they can withstand being sprayed with weed killer while the rest of the plants in the field die.

GE proponents claim genetically engineered crops use fewer pesticides than non-GE crops, when in reality GE plants can require even more chemicals. This is because weeds become resistant to pesticides, leading farmers to spray even more on their crops. This pollutes the environment, exposes food to higher levels of toxins, and creates greater safety concerns for farmers and farm workers.

Some GE crops are actually classified as pesticides. For instance, the New Leaf potato, which has since been taken off grocery shelves, was genetically engineered to produce the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxin in order to kill any pests that attempted to eat it. The actual potato was designated as a pesticide and was therefore regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), instead of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food. Because of this, safety testing for these potatoes was not as rigorous as with food, since the EPA regulations had never anticipated that people would intentionally consume pesticides as food.

Adequate research has not yet been carried out to identify the effects of eating animals that have been fed genetically engineered grain, nor have sufficient studies been conducted on the effects of directly consuming genetically engineered crops like corn and soy. Yet despite our lack of knowledge, GE crops are widely used throughout the world as both human and animal food.

Scientists are currently working on ways to genetically engineer farm animals. Atlantic salmon have been engineered to grow to market size twice as fast as wild salmon, chickens have been engineered so that they cannot spread H5N1 avian flu to other birds, and research is being conducted to create cattle that cannot develop the infectious prions that can cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (aka mad cow disease). At this point, no GE animals have been approved by the FDA to enter the food supply. Genetic engineering experiments on animals do, however, pose potential risks to food safety and the environment.

In 2003, scientists at the University of Illinois were conducting an experiment that involved inserting cow genes into female pigs in order to increase their milk production. They also inserted a synthetic gene to make milk digestion easier for the piglets. Although the experimental pigs were supposed to be destroyed, as instructed by the FDA, 386 offspring of the experimental pigs were sold to slaughterhouses, where they were processed and sent to grocery stores as pork chops, sausage, and bacon.

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Sustainable Table | Genetic Engineering

How To Be A Superhuman
Science stands at the brink of unlocking our primal instincts. Advancements in genetic engineering may soon free humans from the limitations that have linked...

By: sciencefullepisodes

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How To Be A Superhuman - Video

While scientific progress on molecular biology has a great potential to increase our understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used as justification to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests. The biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world's food supply is too important to our survival to be put at risk. What's wrong with genetic engineering (GE)?

Genetic engineering enables scientists to create plants, animals and micro-organisms by manipulating genes in a way that does not occur naturally.

These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non 'GE' environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way.

Their release is 'genetic pollution' and is a major threat because GMOs cannot be recalled once released into the environment.

Because of commercial interests, the public is being denied the right to know about GE ingredients in the food chain, and therefore losing the right to avoid them despite the presence of labelling laws in certain countries.

Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of our world's fundamental keys to survival. Governments are attempting to address the threat of GE with international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol.

April 2010: Farmers, environmentalists and consumers from all over Spain demonstrate in Madrid under the slogan "GMO-free agriculture." They demand the Government to follow the example of countries like France, Germany or Austria, and ban the cultivation of GM maize in Spain.

GMOs should not be released into the environment since there is not an adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health.

We advocate immediate interim measures such as labelling of GE ingredients, and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds from conventional ones.

We also oppose all patents on plants, animals and humans, as well as patents on their genes. Life is not an industrial commodity. When we force life forms and our world's food supply to conform to human economic models rather than their natural ones, we do so at our own peril.

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Genetic Engineering | Greenpeace International