What are GMO’s
What are GMO’s? Do you know what they are?
The acronym of GMO’s is Genetically Modified Organisms. GMO’s when not talked about food is known as a Transgenic organism, meaning genes of one organism is transferred into another. They contain DNA from another species.
This is done in organisms for medical purposes to create vaccines, insulin, and more. This is also done in for purely for aesthetic use, such as blue roses that express blue pigmentation (rather than purely a dye).
Note
Transgenic organisms are ancient when it comes to gene editing technology. If the sequence is known, it can be altered using CRISPR
GMO’s can be used to purely benefit the consumer or to benefit the grower. There are many examples of where genetically modified organisms used to increase ripening time, add herbicide resistance, produce its own pesticides, or a virus resistance.
These methods increase the crop yield, and prevent damage to the crops.
When they produce their own pesticides, the damage that kills the insects are not damaging to humans. So even though it sounds scary to consume a product such as BT corn, it is not dangerous to consume it.
GMO’s can also be used to provide nutrients to countries where crops cannot naturally grow. An example of this is transgenic rice, known as Golden Rice, which allows for the expression of β-carotente in endosperm. This is done to increase the intake of vitamin A in the developing world.
How are Transgenic Plants Made?
First you use cultured bacterium, known as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and extract their plasmids.
Then you use known restriction enzymes to cleave at their cleavage sites. The restriction enzymes you use must have the same sticky ends in the gene of interest as the sticky ends at the Multiple Cloning Site (MCS).
Then you place the two together, and add some DNA ligase to ligate them together.
You then add the product into a culture of bacteria. Run some tests (Transformation Colony Analysis, Colony PCR, Diagnostic Digest) to name a few to confirm that the recombinant hybrid you are hoping for is made.
Then you introduce the bacteria which do contain the recombinant DNA to cultured plant cells.
Then you grow that plant from a cell clone, and it may express the gene you exposed it to.
My Opinion on GMO’s
I believe that GMO’s are beneficial to society as a whole. When GMO’s are used to bring impoverished societies the capabilities to produce their own food, which are full of nutrition.
There is a whole world out there that have humans like you and I starving. IF there is a way to produce organism which do not naturally grow in the certain climates they live in, or to express certain traits which give benefit nutritional benefits to the consumer I am all for it.
However I do believe they need to be extensively studied to see what environmental, societal, nutritional, sociological, and economical impacts that these GMO’s will produce.
Also, when companies are using these GMO’s to increase crop yield, in theory is a good thing. I believe extensive studies should be made mandatory for GMO products which do express pesticides to see if accumulation of those pesticides are possible.
In a gist, I am all for GMO’s. however, I believe proceeding with caution is necessary to ensure the safety of the planet and the consumers.
What are your opinions on GMO’s
Comment below, and lets start a discussion.
Are GMO’s good or bad?
Make sure to cite your sources, and provide an intellectual response to what you believe.