Transgenic Organisms

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Transgenic Organisms
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What are Transgenic Organisms?

• Transgenic organisms are organisms whose genetic
  material has been changed by the addition of
  foreign genes.  This foreign material can come
  from other organisms of the same species, from a
  whole different species, or synthetic sources. 
• Courtesy of The Food Standards Agency

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In 1994 the first genetically engineered food
item went the market when the FDA approved the
sale of a tomato that had been genetically
modified to stay riper longer off the vine. This
tomato was produced using recombinant DNA
technology, and was the herald for an age of
genetically modified foods to come.
When we think of genetic engineering, most of us
probably think of transgenics. Transgenic animals
or plants are those that have genes from other
organisms added to their DNA. Already today
thousands of products come from Transgenic
organisms. Everything from medicines, foods,
feeds, and fibers. One of the biggest
applications (and largest debates) of transgenics
is in Agriculture. There are currently four
nations involved in growing transgenic crops.
They are the United States (68), Argentina
(23), Canada (7), and China (1)
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Glowing tobacco plant. This is an example of a
tobacco plant that has been genetically
engineered with a fluorescent gene (luciferase)
that causes it to glow.
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This is a genetically modified strain of
malaria-resistant mosquito which has been created
successfully by a scientist.
The creation of mosquitoes with green fluorescent
testicles will help curb the spread of malaria
carrying mosquitoes.
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South Korean scientists have successfully cloned
cats via the advantage of a technological twist
that could use to make significant genetic
changes in every creature on Earth. These cats
carry genes that have been altered genetically to
enable them to glow in the dark. Photos from
South Koreas Ministry of Science and Technology
show cats appear normal in visible light (left)
but their skins glow red under ultraviolet light
(right). The ability to manipulate the
fluorescent protein and use this to clone cats
opens new horizons for artificially creating
animals with human illnesses linked to genetic
causes.
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Researchers transfer DNA from the long-vanished
Tasmanian tiger into a mouse. The finding shows
how lost information about species from the past
can be retrieved and also provides a glimpse into
how long-gone creatures may someday get a second
chance at life.
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Uses for Transgenics

• Crops
• -Enhances taste and quality -Increases
  nutrients, yields, and stress tolerances
  -Improves resistance to disease, pests, and
  herbicides -Allows for new products and growing
  techniques

• Animals
• -Increases resistance, productivity, hardiness,
  and feed efficiency -Allows for better yields of
  meat, eggs, and milk Improves animal health and
  diagnostic methods

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More uses. . .

• Transgenic organisms can be used to produce
  proteins for people or animals that cannot
  produce such proteins on their own. For example,
  insulin is a protein produced by humans to break
  down sugars in the bloodstream. However, some
  people are born without the ability to produce
  their own insulin thus making it hard for them to
  live. Since the advent of transgenic organisms,
  scientists have been able to modify animals so
  that they produce insulin in large quantities.
  This insulin can then be harvested, processed,
  and made available to diabetics who need it.
• Another use of transgenics is to discover what
  certain genes do. By taking an unknown gene from
  one organism and inserting it into another
  organism, scientists can observe that changes
  that the gene produces in the new organism thus
  gaining insight into what exactly the gene does
  phenotypically.

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Environmental use

• The field of genetic engineering is especially
  exciting for scientists who are attempting to
  create a more superior oil-converting bacteria. 
  Current oil-converting bacteria pose some
  problems because they cannot compete with native
  microorganisms for resources and therefore
  cannot be implemented easily in areas that do not
  already have populations of oil-converting
  bacteria. 
• Courtesy of The Environmental Protection
  Agency-Alternative Countermeasures for Oil Spills

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Cloning
Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned
from the DNA of an adult. Here she is with her
first-born lamb, Bonnie.(Roslin Institute,
Edinburgh)
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Concerns

• Safety - Some people say that they have a
  potential human health impact in regards to
  allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance
  markers, and other unknown effects
• Potential environmental impact - Unintended
  transfer of modified genes through
  cross-pollination, unknown effects on other
  organisms in the environment, and loss of flora
  and fauna biodiversity
• Access and Intellectual Property - Some people
  fear that transgenic food could lead to the
  domination of world food production by a few
  companies. Increasing dependence on
  Industrialized nations by developing countries.
  And "biopiracy" - the foreign exploitation of
  natural resources.

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More concerns

• Ethics - Is it a violation of natural organisms'
  intrinsic values?Are we tampering with nature by
  mixing genes among species?Does this create
  stress for the animal?
• Labeling - Not mandatory in some countries (e.g.,
  United States). Mixing GM crops with non-GM
  confounds labeling attempts - how do we know
  what's been modified and what hasn't?
• Society - New advances may be skewed to interests
  of rich countries

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Currently. . .

• Genetically modified organisms are already used
  in a wide variety of products we consume on a
  daily basis. For example, Campbells soup line
  contains genetically modified ingredients, as
  does most of General Mill's and Kellogg's
  cereals on the market. In fact, we have been
  eating genetically modified foods since 1996

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Where will we be with transgenics in 10 years?

• Today, scientists are working around the clock
  on new transgenic organisms.

Imagine a banana that when eaten, vaccinates you
against diseases such as hepatitis B,
fruit trees that produce fruit in half the normal
growing time, or even plants that have been
crossed with cold water fish so they don't freeze
in the winter, providing year round food for
developing nations.
The future of transgenic organisms is only as
limited as our imaginations.
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