Genetic Engineering

• Genetic Engineering


  A relatively new area of science that began in the 1970s, involving the transfer of a gene responsible for a desirable characteristic from one organism's genome into another organism
• Genetic Engineering Process


  1. Isolate a useful gene from one organism's genome using enzymes

  2. Insert the gene into a vector (virus or bacterial plasmid)

  3. Introduce the vector to the target organism so the gene is inserted into its cell(s)
• Applications of Genetic Engineering

  • Bacteria producing human insulin to treat diabetes
  • GM crops with improved size, quality, disease/insect/herbicide resistance
  • Sheep producing substances like drugs in their milk for human diseases
  • Gene therapy to treat inherited diseases
• In some cases, the gene transfer is done when the organism is at an early stage of development (e.g. egg or embryo) so it develops with the new characteristic
• Genetic engineering is a controversial topic with both benefits and risks that need to be considered
• Pros of GM Crops

  • Increased yield and food production
  • Ability to engineer crops to contain missing nutrients (e.g. golden rice)
• Cons of GM Crops

  • Potential impact on wild flowers and farmland biodiversity
  • Concerns about safety and health effects of eating GM crops
  • Risk of transplanted genes spreading to create 'superweeds'