How to Make a GMO
- What is a GMO?
- A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is created in a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal. Scientists take desirable genes from one organism and splice it into the DNA into another organism.
- Current commercialized GM crops in the US
- Soy (94%)
- Cotton (90%)
- Canola (90%)
- Sugar beets (95%)
- Corn (88%)
- Hawaiian papaya (50%)
- Original Genetic Engineering AKA Artificial Selection:
- Artificial selection is a form of selection in which humans actively choose which traits should be passed onto offspring. Farmers would choose cattle with beneficial traits such as larger size or producing more milk, and only let them breed. The farmers noticed that the offspring were becoming more and more productive with each generation. Scientists study these traits and try to calculated how heritable traits work. This was the first step to genetically altering other organisms to have desirable traits.
How to Make a GMO?
- Decide what gene(s) are desirable (ex. If your body isn’t producing a certain protein, find the gene that produces the protein you need. To do this you must identify the nucleotide sequence that codes for the particular gene i.e protein.)
Obtain the Desired Gene
- Using Enzymes that recognize where to cut DNA at the desired location to cut out the desired gene
- Then the gene itself is isolated (most likely produced and harvested in large numbers for insertion.)
Insert the Gene (Transformation)
- A shock treatment is used to get the new host cells to take int the foreign DNA.
- Or in the case of crops the gene is inserted into the seeds of the plant using a gene gun
- Using enzymes that can recognize specific sequences and cut those locations, leaving it open to insert the new gene.
- DNA ligase is another enzyme that will stitch back the ends where the cut was made.
Grow the GMO
- Bacteria are used to mass produce the desired protein.
- In the case of crops, you grow the seeds as you would normally.
Monitor for Undesirable Effects
- GMO's cause competition with natural organisms, therefore it is important to monitor GMO's and make sure they don't become invasive causing destruction of other habitats.
- GMO's may affect the ecosystem in an unforeseen way, if it has a negative impact that could cause lots of damage it is important that it is responded to accordingly
Examples of Genetic Engineering
- Honey Bees
- Bee’s pollinate over $30 billion of crops. Needless to say they are important. Scientists are not yet sure what is killing the honeybees. Research is being done to try and save the honeybee.
- At NCSU research is being done on American Foulbrood Disease (AFB) which is a known cause of death for honeybees. In a class called Phage Genomics Freshman can get research experience they wouldn’t normally come across until their senior year or graduate school. In the class they isolate Paenibicillus Larvae (a bacteriophage that causes AFB) and study the genomes of the bacteriophage. By doing so they hope to find a gene or genes that may help fight AFB. They would then be able to isolate the gene in produce it in honeybees to prevent AFB, and save the honeybees. Some of their research has been published: http://genomea.asm.org/content/4/1/e01498-15.long...
- Moths and Mosquitoes
- Diamondback moths cause ~$5 billion in crop damages each year. It has become resistant to pesticides, which has called for a new solution. A company called Oxitec plans to genetically modify the males moths to carry something back to the females that would kill them, thus getting rid of their way to reproduce. This could be seen as a good thing considering we would save $5 billion in crops each year. But some look at it in a bad light too. What happens when the diamondback moths are gone, do they have important effects on other parts of the ecosystem? Oxitec is known for their modification of mosquitoes to kill off female mosquitoes and slow down/eliminate the spread of the Zika virus.
A Video Explanation of How to Make a GMO
- Here is a video summing up everything that we have discussed.
Sources:
https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/how-to-make...
http://wallace.genetics.uga.edu/groups/evol3000/wi...
http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-education/
https://www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/gmo-micro...