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4.2 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
Technique related
What does GMO mean? What is a GMO? therefore plants, animals and microorganisms
were cultivated in environments that contain
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are this antibiotic. The not transformed organisms
living organisms whose genetic material has could not survive and those transformed did.
been artificially manipulated in a laboratory There are other selection genes which give
through genetic engineering. This creates organisms other easily noticeable properties
combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and for selection, such as fluorescence, by using a
virus genes that may not occur in nature or gene from jellyfish.
through traditional crossbreeding methods.
When we talk about transgenics in particular, What is the purpose of producing GMOs?
we are talking about “organisms that have in
their DNA a part that is not of their species, There are several reasons. Namely, to produce
which is of a different species”. organisms with extra properties of interest
for humans. Modified organisms may have
Most commercial crop GMOs have been advantages compared to those that have
engineered to withstand the direct application not been genetically modified. For example:
of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. increased productivity e.g., crops that grow
However, new technologies are now being faster and with less fertilizer input.
used to artificially develop other traits in plants,
such as a resistance to browning in apples, Another objective may be to produce plants
and to create new organisms using synthetic with desirable characteristics that they do not
biology. naturally possess, but which are beneficial
when consumed. For instance, Golden Rice has
How are organisms modified and how are a gene allowing the production of a precursor
these modifications selected? of vitamin A, a fundamental nutrient to correctly
develop eyesight. There are populations in
It depends on the organism and the kind of the far-east countries that live exclusively on
modification desired. If one is talking about rice, with no or little access to anything else
plants, the technique most commonly used is and have serious eyesight problems, including
Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a bacterium that blindness; so, this rice is a way to provide
naturally infects the plants and transfers its them with vitamin A. The idea of producing
own DNA into the one of that plant. Golden Rice is already 20 years old but it was
authorised just recently in 2019.
If we talk about animals or microorganisms,
this is done differently. There are different Currently, the only GMO produced in the
vehicles to introduce the DNA of interest, such European Union is a type of corn, called BT
as a gene with a specific promoter (that is to corn. It greatly reduces pollution by producing
say, a gene with a section that controls the a protein that fights invasive insects, so when
expression of that gene or other related genes). they eat its leaves, they die shortly. This avoids
the use of external insecticides.
These modifications have to be later selected,
because we need to be sure that the organisms Another example: insulin, a molecule widely
are transformed, and this transformation is not used to treat diabetes, is produced by GMOs.
100% effective. In the past, selection genes that The current molecule used is therefore human
give resistance to antibiotics were used and insulin; this revolutionised the treatment of
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