Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Let’s break it down word by word. Genetically refers to genes. Genes are made up of DNA, which is a set of instructions for how cells grow and develop. Second is Modified. This implies that some change or tweak has been made. Lastly, we have the word Organism. When it comes to GMOs, many people only think of crops. Yet an ‘organism’ isn’t just a plant; it refers to all living things, including bacteria and fungi. A GMO is an organism such as a plant, animal or microorganism whose gene(s) have been altered using genetic modification techniques. As a typical method, a gene from one organism is introduced into another organism to create a new trait or to improve an existing trait. What are genetically modified (GM) animals? A genetically modified animal is one whose genetic material has been altered by adding, changing, or removing certain DNA sequences in a way that does not occur naturally. This process is carried out to introduce a new trait or change a characteristic such as the disease resistance of an animal. DNA is the genetic material of an organism and carries the instructions for all the characteristics that an organism inherits. Changes introduced in an animal’s genetic make-up can therefore be transmitted to the next generation. How are GMOs made? “GMO” (genetically modified organism) has become the common term consumers and popular media use to describe foods that have been created through genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is a process that involves: Identifying the genetic information—or “gene”—that gives an organism (plant, animal, or microorganism) a desired trait Copying that information from the organism that has the trait Inserting that information into the DNA of another organism Then growing the new organism Your Body and GMOs GMOs are relatively new and, like anything new, there are conflicting viewpoints about many issues surrounding the use of these plants. One area that draws a lot of attention is whether these GMO plants and the foods that contain them are safe to eat. There is no data to indicate that consumption of GMOs is bad for human health. GMO have been very heavily studied, and there is no evidence that eating GMO’s harm humans The National Academy for Science, the United States’ number one source for independent, objective advice to the nation on matters of science and technology, concluded that GMOs are safe for human health. The same conclusion has been reached by a large number of prestigious health and science organizations from around the world. In addition, over the two decades that GMOs have been on the market, there have been no occurrences of health issues due to genetically modified organisms. The Many Uses of GMOs When farmers plant their crops they generally worry about three things that could prevent a good yield: insects, weeds and weather. However, plants aren’t the only type of GMO that we use. GMOs are also used to produce many medicines and vaccines that help treat or prevent diseases. Before GMOs, many common medicines had to be extracted from blood donors, animal parts, or even cadavers. These medicines had a number of problems including the risk of transmission of diseases, inconsistent quality and unreliable supply. GMO medicines are more consistent and don’t carry the same contamination risk. The Genetic modification of foods, organisms, and animals is very controversial, for quite obvious reasons. And yet, the practice has great potential for helping to cure diseases and battle hunger in poorer countries. 1. Pigs that are resistant to respiratory diseases Source: Christina Warner/Unsplash In 2018, scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute announced they had successfully eradicated the section of DNA that leaves pigs vulnerable to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, the Guardian wrote at the time — sometimes genetic modification really sounds like computer programming. The disease that the GM pigs were made resistant to is estimated to cost European farmers £1.5bn a year in loss of livestock and decreased productivity. Genetically modified animals are banned from the European Union food chain — some experts suggest this new technique might encourage a reevaluation. 2. Genetically modified salmon that grow incredibly quickly In 2017, the Canadian authorities allowed a genetically modified (GM) salmon, which had been designed by US company AquaBounty, to be sold in supermarkets. The salmon was designed to be market-ready in 18 months — half the time a salmon would take to grow to that size in the wild. Controversially, the fish were not labeled as GM in the shops, prompting CBAN in Canada to write this article about how to avoid eating GM salmon in 2017. 3. Mosquitoes designed to birth weak offspring A British company called Oxitec created genetically modified male mosquitoes that carry a “self-limiting gene”. This means that when they are released into the wild and procreate with female mosquitoes, their offspring die at a young age. This method has shown great potential in battling diseases such as Zika and malaria, which are carried and spread by mosquitoes. Unfortunately, some scientists argue that releasing the genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild may have helped to create a more resilient hybrid species of mosquito. 4. Cows genetically modified to produce something resembling human milk Scientists in China and Argentina have genetically modified cows to produce milk that is similar to that produced by human mothers. Researchers modified an embryo of an Argentinian cow to produce milk that contained proteins that are present in human milk, that are not typically present in cow milk. As LiveScience points out, the researchers face many tests and hurdles before this type of milk is deemed as a safe replacement milk for human infants. 5. Ruppy, the glow-in-the-dark clone beagles As NewScientist writes, the cloned beagle named Ruppy – short for Ruby Puppy – is the world’s first transgenic dog. She is one of five beagles that were engineered to produce a fluorescent protein that glows red under ultraviolet light. A team that included Byeong-Chun Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea and stem cell researcher Woo Suk Hwang, created the dogs by cloning fibroblast cells that express a red fluorescent gene produced by sea anemones. The proof-of-principle experiment was aimed at leading the way for transgenic dog models of human disease. 6. The glow-in-the-dark pet Glofish Source: Glofish/Facebook The Glofish goes down in history as the first-ever genetically created designer pet. It was first engineered as a proof of concept for gene splicing, by Dr. Zhiyuan Gong at the National University of Singapore. In 1999, Gong and his team extracted the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a jellyfish and inserted it into a zebrafish. The glow-in-the-dark, and now trademark branded, Glofish goldfish were actually inspired by real-life fish and marine life that glows for biological purposes, such as catching prey. 7. Featherless chickens Featherless chickens were engineered to make the lives of farmers easier — defeathering a chicken is no easy task. Unfortunately, as New Scientist points out, many critics of the GM feather-free chickens say that they suffer more than normal birds. Males are unable to mate, as they cannot flap their wings, and "naked" chickens also lose a protective layer of plumage that helps keep away parasites, mosquito bites, and sunburn. 8. See-through frogs for more humane research Scientists at Hiroshima University genetically engineered a see-through frog. The development paves the way for dissection-free research on animals, NBC reported in 2007. At the time, Professor Masayuki Sumida of Hiroshima University said the new line of frogs were the world's first transparent four-legged animals. Though it opens up a new intriguing line of research the scientists behind it to do stress that we won't be seeing any see-through mammals any time soon, as mammals typically have a much thicker skin. 9. Monkey-pig chimera Source: Tang Hai/State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology Just last year, scientists in China created pig-primate chimeras. The two piglets looked like normal baby pigs but had primate cells. They died within a week. Ultimately, the research is being conducted with the ultimate goal of growing human organs in animals for transplantation. The death of the piglets is a reminder as to why genetic modification in animals is so controversial. 10. The Vacanti mouse Source: Wikimedia Commons In the late 90s, doctors Charles Vacanti, Joseph Vacanti, and Bob Langer started to create “biodegradable scaffoldings” of human body parts, including the human ear. Famously, they genetically engineered a mouse to grow a human ear on its body. The creature, which looks like something out of a horror movie, was engineered to help scientists understand how to grow body parts in humans, using their own skin and cartilage cells.
