Tuesday, January 7, 2014

GMO's Connor Spencer Alex

Genetically Modified Organisms


What is a GMO?

Reuters/Nicky Loh

GMO’s are the results of the transfer of genes from one animal or plant to another. These modifications to DNA can change many things about an organism. Including its appearance, taste, or vitality. Unfortunately these techniques can also cause mutations which create allergies, toxins, and new diseases.

For Example: Tomato+ Arctic Flounder= Freeze proof tomatoes






History
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Since the beginnings of agriculture growth, people have been finding ways to make plants more resistant to the weather and other organisms. Some would argue that the race for GMOs began in 1953 when J. Watson and F. Crick decoded the structure of the double Helix of DNA. In 1972, scientists began developing and popularizing the concept of GMOs, something to perfect this idea of gene splicing to make plants and animals perfect. Mostly used in the development of healthier, stronger plants, this GMO research has also taken a turn in the development of animals with special capabilities.
World-wide, genetically modified (GM) crops occupy a relatively small proportion of the world’s
agricultural acreage. However, in 2002, GM crops were cultivated on some 59 million hectares
globally. Almost all (99%) of this was grown in only four countries: USA (66%), Argentina
(23%), Canada (6%) and China (4%). Three crops comprise 95% of the land under GM
cultivation: soybean (62%), maize (21%) and cotton (12%). Traits achieved by genetic
modification primarily involve herbicide tolerance (75%) and insect pest resistance (15%), or a
combination of both in the same crop.




The Science

In order to create a GMO you need three things: The gene you want to transfer, the organism you want to implement it on, and a vector to carry the gene into the new species. The trans-gene needs to be isolated from the first organism, usually done by restriction enzymes, which are like molecular  scissors. This newly cut trans-gene is then inserted into a vector, which is something that is capable of putting this gene into the new organism. Scientists must remove part of the vector’s genes and put the new gene in it. It then carries this trans-gene into the new species and the GMO is complete.

Current Uses and Developments
  • Poison Cabbage: Scientists have taken the gene found to produce the poison in scorpion tails and put it into a cabbage. Although harmless to humans, when consumed by many insects, it is fatal. Even though it is still in development, this may be a new alternative to pesticides for protecting plants.
  • Freckles the Goat: At Utah State University bioengineers have spliced the DNA of a spider into that of a goat. This causes the milk of this goat to produce spider silk which is turned into biosteel, a material stronger than kevlar or steel.
A spool of biosteel made by Freckles
  • Salmon: A commercial food company called Aquabounty is taking a growth gene from a chinook salmon and an antifreeze gene from a fish called an ocean pout, and inserted it into the DNA of an Atlantic salmon, making it grow significantly faster than a normal Atlantic salmon. Also there has been no difference in taste smell or texture between the genetically modified and the normal fish.
A normal and GM salmon compared after 18 months
The Pros:

  • GMO's can be cheaply grown and provide food to many undeveloped countries around the world
  • GM food can be made to adapt to certain environments, meaning they could be grown almost anywhere
  • GM plants can also be made to resist certain diseases making them a more abundant food source
  • The modification of bug-resistant plants can lead to less harmful pesticides being used in farming


The Risks/Cons:
  • Thousands of sheep, buffalo, and goats in India died after grazing on Bt cotton plants
  • Mice eating GM corn for the long term had fewer, and smaller, babies
  • More than half the babies of mother rats fed GM soy died within three weeks, and were smaller
  • Testicle cells of mice and rats on a GM soy change significantly
  • By the third generation, most GM soy-fed hamsters lost the ability to have babies
  • Rodents fed GM corn and soy showed immune system responses and signs of toxicity
  • Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced
  • The stomach lining of rats fed GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that may lead to cancer.
  • Studies showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas cells, changed enzyme levels, etc.
The Controversy

The controversy around GMO’s is centered around the possible health risks of genetically modified food. One of many skeptics of GMOs has said “there has been some evidence suggesting potential health risks caused by these foods; even scientists within the FDA itself have repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems.” Many more people grow afraid when they see that many of the foods they eat every day could be genetically modified. Of course many other supporters of GMO foods say that they are completely harmless to humans. The FDA has even cleared many foods that are genetically modified to be sold as commercial products.



Bibliography:

chemical infused corn. Photograph. vaccineliberationarmy.com. Accessed December
     20, 2013. http://vaccineliberationarmy.com/2012/10/31/
     monsanto-round-up-herbicide-on-gmo-corn-rat-study-2-3x-more-deaths-in-females/. 
Classical Medical Journal. Last modified April 13, 2011.
     http://www.classicalmedicinejournal.com/the-classical-medicine-journal/2011/4/13/
     genetically-modified-cows-producing-human-milk.html. 
Diehl, Paul. "The Controversy of Genetically Modified Food." biotech.about.com.
     Last modified March 26, 2013. http://biotech.about.com/od/
     Genetically-Modified-Organisms/a/
     The-Controversy-Of-Genetically-Modified-Food.htm.
Irri. Last modified August 1, 2013. Accessed December 12, 2013.
     http://www.irri.org/
     index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=10202&Itemid=100571&lang=en. 
Kresser, Chris. "Are GMOs safe?" www.chriskresser.com. Last modified November
     30, 2012. Accessed December 18, 2013. http://chriskresser.com/
     are-gmos-safe. 
Rutherford, Adam. "Synthetic biology and the rise of the 'spider-goats.'" The 
     Guardian, January 14, 2012
MNN. "12 Bizarre Examples of Genetic Engineering." Mother Nature Netword.
     Accessed December 16, 2013. http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/
     research-innovations/photos/12-bizarre-examples-of-genetic-engineering/
     venomous-cabbage.
Phillips, Theresa, Ph.D. "Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Transgenic
     Crops and Recombinant DNA Technology." www.nature.com. Accessed December
     18, 2013. http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/
     genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732

Given credit to TryLivingHealth.com


Glowing Fishey:

Freckles the Goat: Citation: photo by Douglas Sprott (Flickr CC)
History: e

Biosteel: http://www.amsilk.com/en/products/biosteel-spidersilk-fibers.html credit to AMSilk: High performance materials.
Photo Taken By Ken Norman




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