Genetic Engineering
Manipulation has always been a fascinating concept. The power attained from changing something once thought to be impossible can be invigorating. Today, scientists are manipulating the smallest of things through genetic engineering. This can be defined as the the modification of genetic material through human interference. (Wani 2011, 36) This new concept has already been used to modify food. Recent experiments including modifying humans. However, a moral issue has risen through effects linked to genetic engineering. This new information can increasingly alter the course of the cutting edge of genetic engineering.
To begin with, genetic engineering is a concept that is fairly new. In 1973, Herb Boyer and Stanley Cohen used this DNA technology to create the first recombinant DNA organism.(Arnold 2009, 15) They managed to splice a plasmid with the gene for antibiotic resistance into the DNA of the E.coli bacterium thus breeding a new antibiotic resistance into it. (Arnold 2009, 16) Their research paved the way for scientists in the future.
These scientists include Rudolf Jaenisch who, a year after Cohen and Boyer's experiment, made the first transgenic animal.(Arnold 2009, 17) His mice embryos were given modified genes which were later expressed in the grown mice.
By 1976, the first genetic engineering company was found by Herb Boyer and businessman Robert Swanson.(Arnold 2009, 18) This company, Genetech began manufacturing the human protein somatostatin in E.coli bacteria. In 1978, Genetech announced the production of synthetic insulin.(Arnold 2009, 19) Scientists had found a way to combine the gene for producing insulin into E.coli. The new E.coli naturally produced the insulin which was later extracted. The breakthroughs highlighted are some of many inventions created through the use of genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering in its self is a lengthy process and the techniques used to insert the genes can be difficult to control. (Lassahn 2009, 8) It is the direct manipulation of an organisms genes (Uhasista 2009,1) therefore the DNA of the organism is changed for gene expression. The part of the DNA with the desired characteristics is linked with other molecules of DNA until the readied genes are inserted into the rest of the host's DNA. (Kwamboka 2010, 30)
The first step of the process is isolation of material needed to be inserted. (Wani 2011, 38) This material can be obtained from the organism with the desired characteristics. The required chunk of DNA with the gene encodement is cut from the organism's DNA. It is then copied through forced DNA replication and the original is put back in the whole.
The second step is to generate a complete DNA that can be inserted into the host. (Wani 2011, 38) This is achieved through mini chromosomes which are Eukaryotic cells that have the DNA ends deleted to make room for transgenes. (Uhasista 2009, 3) These transgenes do not have to be arranged in a certain like on regular chromosomes allowing for much more genes to be added and played around with. (Uhasista 2009, 3)
The final step of genetic engineering is the insertion of this new DNA into the host organism. (Wani 2011, 38) This can be accomplished in two ways: infection or the use of a gene gun. Infection causes the plant cells to be infected by viruses with the new DNA. However, there are some instances where plants cannot be infected which is when the gene gun is employed. The gene gun fires microprojectiles coated with the needed DNA that are shot into plant walls. (Lassahn 2009, 9) The result of these techniques are organisms with modified genetic makeups beyond what is possible through sexual reproduction known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs.) (Lassahn 2009, 6)
GMO's have been mostly been beneficial to the fields of agriculture and medicine where GMOs are used to create new foods and research new medicines. (Uhasista 2009, 2) Since the genetic make up of GMO's can be altered to ones specifications (Kwamboka 2011, 29), many plants are changed in a lab to increase nutritional value and pesticide resistance. (Kwamboka 2011, 31)
GM foods have risen due to limited land resource, soil degradation, population increases, and droughts. (Wani 2011, 37) These foods are produced through Pharming, the word for genetically modifying your food. (Wani 2011, 39) These foods contain many advantages over natural foods.
The first advantage of GM foods is pest resistance. Crops loss due to pests means a loss of profit for a farmer and food for the hungry. Pesticides used sprayed on plants can be almost as bad as pests which is why genetically modified plants that are pesticide resistant can lower the need of chemical pesticides and improve the environment. (Kwamboka 2010, 32)
Secondly, GM foods can be made to be herbicide resistant. Many different herbicides are currently used by farmers to kill weeds because a powerful herbicide can alter the environment negatively. However, genetically modified plants can be made to be resistant to one strong herbicide which means less herbicides needed to use as well as less impact onto the environment. (Kwamboka 2010, 33)
Lastly, malnutrition could be ended through genetic engineering. The third world countries who can only afford to grow one crop do not have to keep suffering from the malnutrition coming from eating only one type of food. Instead, they could genetically modify their plants to have it produce all the necessary genes it needs to survive. (Kwamboka 2010, 46) Through this, perhaps these nations can be able to prosper.
However, these rich foods come at a price. Some scientists worry that GM foods have unintended risks to other organisms. (Kwamboka 2010, 34) This comes after monarch butterflies were found to have shorter lifespans. This has been argued to do with it genetically modified pesticide resistant plants blowing pollen onto neighboring plants. These plants were eaten by the catapillars causing them to perish.(Kwamboka 2010, 49) These studies are still being closely debated and not confirmed to be true.
Another risk of GM food is reduced effectiveness of pesticides. (Kwamboka 2010, 35) It has already happened in antibiotics with the bacteria evolving to "super" bacteria that was not destroyed by antibiotics. It can be catastrophic if pests such as mosquitos become resistant to the pesticide that can perhaps be found in all plants in the future.
Humans also could be put at risk by eating GM foods. It has been speculated that foreign genes in a new plant could perhaps have unknown risks to the human health. (Kwamboka 2010, 45) Allergies could also be amplified by genetic engineering. It is possible that introducing the gene into a plant could cause new types of allergies to surface. (Kwamboka 2010, 47) These new allergies could end up becoming deadly especially if no one has ever had a reaction to it before. Though genetically engineering crops can be cheap and effective, the risks of this tampering far outweighs the benefits. However, GMOs are not only just foods. There are countless different modified organisms in the world. They include crops not only to make food, but also to be useful in the fight against diseases and create a new source for biofuel. (Uhasista 2009, 5) Also, scientists have engineered a new breed of "Schwarzenegger mice" who have been bestowed with increased muscular strength. (Simmons 2008, 27) These mice opened the doors to building more athletic animals and humans. There are also bacteria whose genes have been altered to produce proteins vital to humans. GMOs are paving the way in creating better human conditions through prevention of diseases and increased nutritional value in some plants.
As stated before, scientists have used gene therapy to transform mice into mighty mice able to run faster and tire less by affecting a gene that affects metabolism. (Miller 2008, 21) Some of the scientists realized that this same technique can be used on humans. Thus, genetic engineering has started to become an experiment used on humans. The genetic engineering through use of nontheraputic genes to improve a human's athletic ability has become known as gene doping. (Simmons 2008, 26) Gene doping would increase the amount of proteins and hormones made by a cell creating a human who would work more and tire less. Gene doping can soon become the way new athletes are made.
Another possible use for genetic engineering on humans comes in the form of "designer babies" which have had genes altered while as a fetus that does not have to do with preventing a disease. (Simmons 2008, 41) However, designer babies can become prey to trait selection and enhancement which has become a moral issue for the baby and society. (Simmons 2008, 28) It is unknown if enhancing a baby can pose certain health risks later in the baby's life. The technology is fairly new, so scientists are still unsure if a baby's life would be in danger.(Simmons 2008, 42) Some genes can also control more than one activity which can cause an issue if tampering resulted in an unintended side effect. (Simmons 2008, 43) Also, the children may not grow up to what they were engineered to do. This could really effect the relationship of the parent and child and destroy what could have been a great life for the child.(Simmons 2008, 44)
Genetic engineering has the capability to do wondrous things. In fact, most of the knowledge obtained from genetic engineering comes from testing for ways to cure the incurable diseases. (Simmons 2008, 25) Diseases that once ravaged civilization could be fixed by the replacement of one gene. Birth defects corrected even before the baby was born. Hereditary diseases passed down through genes eliminated by the use of genetic engineering. (McPhersson 2008, 11) People would no longer have to fear deadly viruses spreading around or hereditary diseases being passed on to kids, genetic engineering could fix all their problems. (McPhersson 2008, 12) Genetic engineering would be able to pave the way for a stronger, healthier human race.
Genetic engineering can enhance the people's lives; however, it could cause more grief and strife in the world. (McPhersson 2008, 10) Many people fear that genetically engineered species can cause an unbalance to the ecology of a region. (McPhersson 2008, 13) An accident in the modification of a virus or bacteria can end up strengthening it and cause an epidemic. Also, human engineering could end up causing medical problems with the body. Then, there is the concern these problems could not be treated because genetic engineering may be irreversible. (McPhersson 2008, 50) The worst case scenario would be if terrorists concocted a new biological weapon using genetic engineering. These weapons could in fact be resistant to medicine and may be able to be made to target people with certain genes. These species might reproduce faster than ever predicted and pose a larger threat to the world and catastrophe. (McPhersson 2008, 14) If scientists ever go through with introducing the use of genetic engineering, one things for sure, there will be no turning back. It will always be there, the world would not be able to turn it off. (McPhersson 2008, 51) Perhaps the terror genetic engineering can cause ruins its ability to become a valuable tool.
All in all, genetic engineering is a fascinating concept. Though quite young compared to other sciences, genetic engineering has already begun to make a name of itself as a way to solve human problems. To ridding the world of diseases and solving resource conditions, genetic engineering is able to usher in a new era of stability. However, this stability can become impossible if genetic engineering is used the wrong way. Just one wrong move in recombining the DNA and the world could be plagued by super pathogens. Not only that, the risk of genetically enhanced bio weapons looms over the world. Should genetic engineering be used as a resource to save resources or should it remain hidden where it can neither hinder nor help humanity.