GENETICALLY

MODIFIED ORGANISM
• Is an organism whose genetic material
has been altered using genetic
engineering techniques.
• Organisms that have been genetically
modified include micro-organisms such as
bacteria, yeast, plants, fish and mammals
• Source of genetically modified foods and
are also widely used in scientific research
and to produce useful goods other food.
 PRODUCTION OF GMO
• Genetic modification involves the insertion or deletion of
genes.
• When genes are inserted, they usually come from a different
species, which is a form of horizontal gene transfer.
• To do this artificially may require attaching the genes to a
virus or just physically inserting the extra DNA into the
nucleus of the particles fired from a gene gun.
• Agrobacteriums ability to transfer genetic material to plants
or the ability of lentiviruses to transfer genes to animal cells
are natural examples of gene transfer.
 Principle of Production
• The basic principle for producing a GMO was
to add new genetic material into an
organism’s genome.
• This is called genetic engineering and was
made possible through the discovery of DNA
and the creation of the first recombinant DNA
molecules by Paul Berg in 1972.
Genetic Engineering- (also called genetic
modification) is a process that uses laboratory-
based technologies to alter the DNA makeup of an
organism. This may involve changing a single base
pair (A-T or C-G), deleting a region of DNA or
adding a new segment of DNA.
Biotechnology- the use of biology to develop new
products, methods and organisms intended to
improve human health and society.
Pros and Cons of
Genetic
Engineering
 PROS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING
1.Production of nutrient-rich foods

A variety of food crops and products have

already been modified in order to provide
better nutrition for consumers. For
instance, did you know that you can
already have your daily requirement of
vitamin A by eating rice alone? By inserting
a gene that encodes for vitamin A to the
gene of regular rice, scientists were able to
create a new breed of rice plants called
“Golden Rice “. Such discovery is very
helpful to the diet of populations that
consume rice.
2. Increased resistance of plants to rotting and pests

A common problem in farming and food

production is the rapid infestation and
rotting of crops. Using genetic engineering,
scientists have already found a solution: by
creating rot and pest resistant crops. By
genetically engineering the gene that
encodes for rotting in plants, the ability of a
certain fruit to resist rotting is enhanced. In
the case of pest resistance, scientists insert
genes for toxin production into plants, thus
resulting to them deterring their insect
pests.
3. Increased Meat Production

Animals have already been modified in order to

increase meat production. One example of a
genetically modified animal for such purpose is the
Belgian blue cattle which originated from Belgium,
as the name suggests. Unlike regular cattle, this
genetically engineered cattle has an impressive
muscling known as “double muscling”. By
inserting a gene that inhibits the production of
myostatin (the protein that suppresses muscle
growth), scientists were able to produce a new
breed of cattle that has humongous body size ideal Belgian Blue Cattle

for meat production.

4. Production of novel drugs and vaccines

In medicine, genetic engineering is used

in order to produce various drugs like
human growth hormone, insulin, and
vaccines. Basically, a vaccine is a
synthetic substance given in order to
stimulate the production of antibodies
and provide immunity against a certain
disease.
To do this, inactive forms of viruses or
the toxins they produced are injected
into the person being immunized.
5. Development of New and Favourable Characters

Through the course of time, genetic engineering

is no longer limited to plants and animals alone.
Surprisingly, a study published in the
journal nature showed that genetic engineering
in humans is already being performed in a
process called gene doping. Unlike the known
process of “doping”, which involves the use of
performance enhancing drugs like growth
hormones and steroids, gene doping involves the
non-therapeutic use of genes and cells to
improve athletic performance.
6. Creation of humans with desirable features

Did you know that using genetic

engineering, you can already choose the type
of baby you want to have? The term
“designer baby” refers to a baby whose
genetic makeup has been chosen in order to
ensure that a certain gene will be present or
to remove a certain unwanted trait. Although
possible, this genetic technology has not yet
been started because of continuing ethical
debates.
7. Use in Gene Therapy
• The Gmos like some viruses are used in gene therapy.
• It can be used in the treatment of various genetic disorders and diseases like
sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.

8. Creation of Neo- organs

• The unavailability of organs for transplants is a big problem today.
• The creation of neo-organs in order to increase the supply of desired organs
is possible by means of genetic engineering.
• The regeneration of new tissues is carried out by the injection of a growth
factor using a tissue injector.
• Another procedure for creating new organs in which a scaffold made from
biodegradable polymers is used to contain the plant cells. This scaffold is
placed in a position where the new growth is expected. Eventually the
scaffold breaks down and dissolved and a completely new organ is formed.
 Cons of Genetic Engineering
1. The fear for unintended selection
and any unwanted transfer of genes

In short, there is NO 100% chances that

the genes inserted will be expressed. In fact,
they can even end up in unexpected places.
Such changes can contribute to alteration in
the organism’s growth, metabolism and
response.
2. Health issues like allergic reactions

When GM crops were first introduced to the

market, the possibility that they might cause
allergies became the prime concern of consumers.
Apparently, there have already been several
studies which suggest that the genetic
engineering may have increased natural allergens
in crops. As alluded to earlier, the transfer of
genes across organisms is prone to high
probabilities of failures. For instance, the
supposedly “gene of interest” is not transferred; Allergens
instead, another gene for producing allergen is.
3. Development of antibiotic resistance of
disease causing organisms

Another damaging effect of producing GM

organisms is a condition called “antibiotic
resistance“. In this phenomenon, the
supposedly target organisms of antibiotics
change in a way that they eventually
become resistant to the drug. As a result,
they will continue to survive, causing
greater harm.
Antibiotic Resistance
4. Loss of biodiversity

According to a study, one major problem

regarding the rise of GM organisms is that
they can cause a reduction in the
biodiversity (the difference in the traits
of organisms) of plants and animals in the
environment. This means that the DNA in
the environment will be more similar
between individuals. So what? Loss
biodiversity in the environment means
lower chances of adaptation and survival of
organisms to changing environment.
5. The fear for the rise of “invasive species”

In relation to the above point, the increase

in the production of GM crops and animals
may lead to the rise of invasive species.
Because GM organisms are often better
adapted to the environments that they were
modified for, they out-compete naturally
occurring plants and animals. In science,
such organisms are termed as “invasive
species”. They are basically organisms with
uncontrollable growth of populations up to a
degree that already harms organisms and
the environment.
6. Economic consequences

Because of the technology used to create

genetically modified crops and animals, private
companies that produce them do not share their
products at a reasonable cost with the public.

7. Social and Ethical Concerns

For critics, genetic engineering has no resemblance to the
natural process of breeding. This is because in the process, a
different gene is forced to combine to the genes of an
organism.
In addition, they believe that the process is somewhat
disrupting the natural way and complexity of life. Critics fear
the misuse and abuse of biotechnology
 GM CROPS/PLANTS
• In agriculture, genetically
engineered crops are created to
possess several desirable traits, such
as resistance to pests, herbicides, or
harsh environmental conditions,
improved product shelf life,
increased nutritional value, or
production of valuable goods such
as drugs (pharming)
 TRANSGENIC PLANTS
• Have been engineered for scientific
research, to create new colours in
flowers, and to create improved crops
• In research, plants are engineered to
help discover the functions of certain
genes.
• One way to do this is to knock out the
gene of interest and see what
phenotype develops.
• Another strategy is to attach the gene
to a strong promoter and see what
happens when it is over expressed.
 GM Animals
• Genetic modification in animals is carried
out for the production of
pharmaceuticals, human proteins and in
therapies.
• The activity of animal cloning leads to
deformities at the time of birth and many
of such animals die while still young.
• Is also used for creating organs by means
of animals for implanting them in human
beings. For example, pig’s heart could be
transplanted in a human, if he is facing
the danger of heart failure.
 Mammals
• Ralph L. Brinster and Richard Palmiter developed the
techniques responsible for transgenic mice, rats, rabbits,
sheep, and pigs in the early 1980’s
• They established many of the first transgenic models of
human disease, including the first carcinoma caused by a
transgene.
• The process of genetically engineering animals is a slow,
tedious and expensive process. However , new
technologies are making genetic modifications easier and
more precise.
 Purpose for GENETIC MODIFICATION OF MAMMALS

• To research human disease ( for example, to develop animal model for these
diseases)
• To produce industrial or consumer products( fibers for multiple uses)
• To produce products intended for human therapeutic use (pharmaceutical
products or tissue for implantation).
• To enrich or enhance the animals’ interactions with human ( hypoallergenic
pets).
• To enhance production or food quality traits ( faster growing fish, pigs that
digest food more efficiently).
• To improve animal health( disease resistance).
 FISH
• GM Fish are used for scientific research and as pets, and are being
considered for use aas food and as aquatic pollution sensors.
• Genetically engineered fish are widely used in basic research in genetics
and development.
• Two species of fish, zebra fish and medaka, are most commonly modified
because they have optically clear chorions( shells), rapidly develop and
the 1- cell embryo is easy to see and microinject with transgenic DNA.
• The glofish is a patented brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescet
zebra fish wth bright red, green, and orange fluorescent color.
• Although not originally developed for ornamental fish trade, it became
the first genetically modiefied animal to become publicly available as a
pet when it was introduced for sale in 2003. They were quickly banned
for sale in California on the grounds of ethical issues.
FISH
 Microbes
• Bacteria were the first organisms to be
modified in the laboratory, due to their simple
genetics.
• These organisms are used for several
purposes, and are particularly important in
producing large amounts of pure human
proteins for use in medicine.
• Genetically modified bacteria are used to
produce the protein insulin to treat diabetes.
• Similar bacteria have been used to produce
clotting factors to treat haemophilia, and
human growth hormone to treat various forms
of dwarfism.
PETA 1
Make a research paper/case
study/poster on genetic
diseases
Content- 20
Relevance- 10
Creativity- 15
Submission- 5