BIOENGINEERING AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Introduction
Genetically Modified Organisms refers to organisms that foreign DNA introduced into their DNA, which results to an organism that is genetically modified or engineered. The insertion of the foreign DNA facilitates the production of non-native proteins, which results to the creation of new and desired traits by the organisms. Genetic Engineering relies heavily on the techniques deployed by molecular biology, which has facilitated the genetic modification of plants, animals and microorganisms (Benny, 2009). The applications of Genetic Engineering are diverse, with some areas of application such as Genetically Modified Foods being a contested subject in terms of human health and environmental issues. Genetic Engineering has also been applied in the field of medicine to facilitate the development of human drugs. In the article by Deborah Whitman Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? In the issue of Discovery Guides, the author discusses the benefits and the criticism of genetically modified foods to summarize the current issues relating to the application of genetic engineering in agriculture.
Whitman argues that the backbone of genetic engineering in agriculture is molecular biology techniques that facilitate the creation of desired traits in the plants like enhance nutritional value and an increase in the resistance to herbicides. Genetic engineering gained its popularity due to the speed and accuracy of the results compared to conventional methods such as hybridization. The author sums the advantages of the genetic engineering in agriculture as the potential solution to attaining food security in the future (Whitman, 2000). Highlighted advantages of the application of genetic engineering in agriculture include pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease tolerance, cold and drought tolerance and enhancing the nutritional content of agricultural produce. In addition, research studies are being conducted to integrate genetic engineering with in agriculture with the production of pharmaceuticals, whereby edible vaccines will be introduced in crop produce such as tomatoes and potatoes (LeVine, 2006). A number of religious organizations and environmental activists on the other hand have questioned the use of genetic engineering in agriculture. Potential hazards genetically modified organisms include the unintentional harm to other organisms, reduction in the effectiveness of pesticides and the transfer of genes to non-target organisms. Whitman however notes that there are solutions that can be implemented to address the identified harms of genetic engineering in agriculture. Possible solutions include the creation of genetically modified organisms that are male sterile, modification of the genetically modified organisms in such a manner that it does not release the introduced gene to the environment, the creation of buffer zones in areas under genetically modified organisms (Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), 2010). The author also highlights potential human health risks including allergenicity and unknown impacts on human health. The principal argument advocated by the author is that genetic engineering is the key solution to food security, and that the government has the principal role of regulating the genetically modified foods.
The article discusses the insertion of B.t genes in corns and numerous crops. B.t is a bacterium that occurs naturally and produces crystal proteins that are fatal to the larvae of the insect. The transference of B.t crystal protein genes in crops such as corn has resulted to the crops developing their own pesticides that are effective against insects like the European corn borer. The application of genetic engineering in agriculture has its pros and cons. A significant advantage of the use genetic engineering in agriculture is that genes can be introduced to enhance the pest resistance abilities of crops, which is helpful in reducing crop losses due to insect pests. The basic argument is that pesticides are regularly used in agriculture and has potential health hazards, poisoning the water supply and causing environmental harms. Therefore, the introduction of B.t corn can eliminate the need to use pesticides. Herbicide tolerance is also another advantage associated with the application of genetic engineering in agriculture. Genetically engineered organisms are resistant to herbicides which helps in the prevention of environmental degradation through a reduction of the herbicides needed. In addition, plants can be genetically engineered to make them resistant against diseases. Despite the identified advantages associated with the use of genetic engineering in agriculture, there are a number of disadvantages when relying on genetic engineering.
Union of Concerned Scientists (2010) note that the planting these crops contaminates wild plants to cause a biodiversity loss since some have chimeric gene blend that might result to biological contamination and accelerate extinction of important organisms in nature. It is also a supposed seed terminator since GE plants cannot produce seeds, which are saved by farmers for food sustenance. Soil sterility is affected for instance by a GM bacterium called Klebsiellaplanticola, which cause a sterility of soil by killing essential nutrients. Bio-invasions results from GM crops, which kill beneficial insects like the monarchy butterfly and bees. As a result, it has become a controversial debate in the recent past due to its supposed violation of environmental health (UCS, 2010).
Biotechnology is the root source of GE where desired genes are combined to form a different species through artificial selection. There have been tight regulations and total bans imposed on the genetically modified foods especially within the European Union. GE is not only associated with direct effects to human health but most importantly, its adverse contribution to the environment that has raised concern of environmentalists all over the world. As a result, GE products have been restricted in the market. This has called for more efforts through testing for such products, labeling GE foods, and in maintenance of natural crops to avoid effects of transgenic products and their release to the natural environment, which is restricted to avoid ramifications (LeVine, 2006).
The potential effects of GE on the environment include creation of super-weeds, thus causing unwanted impacts in inhibiting crop yield or even displacing natural flora to cause a disruption of the entire ecosystems. Besides, genetic pollution may occur in that novel genes modified through GE are not restricted agriculturally and if there are nearby related species in the fields, there is a high likelihood of transfer of pollen grain. Genetic pollution has no clean up since it might be hard to identify GE crops in the wild, causing irreversible effects. As a result the new plats gain more vigor, resistance and therefore, difficult to deal with (LeVine, 2006).
Alterations in patterns of herbicide application occur since GE plants are modified to be herbicide resistant. This might result to more use of herbicides where farmers might use them in a liberal way (UCS, 2010). Since herbicides vary in environmental toxicity, more devastating environmental effects are incurred. Moreover, such resistant crops would trigger an evolution where weeds would become more resistant due to more exposure or transfer of the resistant genes to related species. Additionally, GE causes lavishing of important pest vulnerable genes in insects, which are prevalent in natural insect’s populations. The genes are crucial since they let the pesticide to effectively manage pests.
Particular GE crops are modified to have aBt endotoxin, which persist inside the soil for not less the eighteen months. They secrete the toxin in several tissues hence exposing pests to it. Such timely exposure cause a resistant gene in the pest, as the Bt pesticide ends up being useless since it is transferred to wild plants to form super-weeds, that cause a disruption in balance of nature. There is also an emergence of harmful viruses since GE is geared at producing plants that tolerate viruses through incorporation of viral component in their genome to resist infections. However, they might establish new harmful virus with higher virulence in the process of recombination or transcapsidation. In addition, poisoned wildlife may result from being endangered by consumption of plant debris since it contains certain viral promoters e.g. CaMV attached to it. This is detrimental to mammalian organs and immune system. CaMV, being a Para retrovirus may cause reactivation of dormant viruses and establish new ones (Benny, 2009).
To sum the disadvantages of genetic engineering in agriculture, transgenic organisms when released in the environment may cause an injury to genetic diversity, as it might contaminate natural gene pools. Probable mutations might result, which could eliminate the natural genes. These mutant genes are detrimental to the environment and this might spoil the local ecology and the food chain where GE crops compete with related wild species (UCS, 2010).It is therefore the role of man to safeguard the ecosystem in order to promote sanctity, serenity, as well as development by avoiding technologies that would be detrimental. This will safeguard earth as our home and the resources therein.
References
Benny, J. (2009). Environmental Studies . New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
Gilbert, S. (2003). Developmental Biology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. .
LeVine, H. (2006). Genetic Engineering: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC CLIO, Inc.
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). (2010). Risk of Genetic engineering. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from Citizens and Scientists for Environmental Solutions: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/impacts_genetic_eng neering/ris
Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Discovery Guides , 1-10.