It sounds like a dream come true: technology that has created crops like hypoallergenic wheat and cancer-fighting tomatoes claims to have the tools to solve world famine and reduce reliance on pesticides. Genetic engineering has made a major impact on our world and production of genetically modified food has exploded since its introduction.
Humans have selectively bred food for centuries. Now, new techniques allow scientists to skip the long process. With genetic engineering, isolating the desired genes from one organism and hybridizing them with another makes crossing species much easier. Soy and corn—two of the most important crops in the world—have had their DNA altered through this process.
A popular technique used in genetic engineering is gene splicing. DNA cannot be directly inserted into an organism using this technique. The donor DNA must first be cut and recombined into a fragment compatible with the host DNA. The host is usually a rapidly multiplying bacterium in which the DNA gets duplicated and used as a product in plants, animals, and other organisms. However, DNA can be directly inserted into an organism by injecting it through cell walls (of plants) or fertilized eggs (of animals). By introducing foreign genes, the altered organisms are prompted to make new proteins and enzymes. Consequently, these cells perform new functions.
Genetic engineering can be unpredictable, and is a concern in the areas of environmental safety and conservation, ethics, and the modification of the natural food chain. When foreign genes are inserted into another organism’s DNA the effects are not always foreseeable. A gene could be inserted the wrong way or into other genes. The genetic make-up of the organism could become unstable. Problems may only begin to arise after many generations, making it difficult to know if the initial process did not go smoothly.
Farmers that grow organic crops have concerns about genetically modified food. Seeds from a farm that grows genetically engineered food could be carried to an organic farm, leading to the contamination of these crops. This would not only cause expensive recalls, but the loss of organic certification.
Although there is much scrutiny regarding genetically modified food, there are significant advantages to this technology. Not only is GM technology rapid, there is a virtually unlimited gene pool available for modifications to a species’ physicality and function. For instance, a tomato’s size, flavor, and even growth rate can be altered by GM technology. In addition, specific genes are targeted and species can be crossed. Natural breeding, in contrast, is slow, and occurs within a limited gene pool. The desired genes cannot be solely targeted, and it must occur between the certain species to ensure breeding compatibility.
